Answering Furniture Makers Questions About Forest Certification
Are you new to forest certification? Looking to make sense of the different certification standards and how your furniture brand can benefit? We recently sat down with Nick Johnson, Director of Sustainable Supply Chains, of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), an independent third party certification standard in North America to answer the most common questions furniture makers are asking when it comes to understanding forest certifications.

Q: Why should furniture brands care about forest certifications?
A: People and organizations are increasingly seeking solutions that not only reduce negative environmental impacts but ensure positive contributions to the long-term health of people and the planet. Forest certification utilizes a set of standards to ensure forests are managed sustainably to protect the environment, support communities, and promote responsible resource use. Forest certifications have become a highly trusted solution to meet the growing demand for forest-based products from sustainably managed forests. Companies certified to these standards conserve wildlife and water, practice climate-smart forestry, and support relationship building with Indigenous Peoples. Whether you are a designer, manufacturer, retailer, or consumer, supporting forest certification programs, and fabricating furniture made from certified forest products, is an impactful thing you can do to support healthy forests now and into the future. And in doing so, you communicate to your customers that your brand cares about the environment.
DID YOU KNOW?
Canada‘s Three Major Certification Programs | In Canada there are three third-party certification systems for sustainable forest management: Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), PEFC Canada, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Q: What is forest certification generally, and what is meant by chain of custody?
A: Forest certification is a voluntary, market-based instrument, implemented through two separate but related processes: forest management certification and chain of custody certification.
Forest management certification ensures specific forest lands are managed sustainably, balancing environmental, social, and economic factors. In Canada, forest certification complements a strong existing legal and regulatory framework that requires forest resources to be managed responsibly. Forest certification standards typically contain requirements to protect water quality, and biodiversity, including species at risk, promote climate-smart forestry, fire resilience and awareness, and recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights as they apply to various lands and jurisdictions.
Chain-of-custody certification applies to any organization that sources, processes, manufactures, handles, trades, converts, or prints forest-based products. They must have processes such as inventory control, employee training, comprehensive reporting, and invoicing so they can track the volume of forest resource from certified forests or non-certified forests, and make claims based on the forest fibre they receive. Chain of Custody standards also have requirements to ensure certified organizations avoid sourcing from controversial sources, which include illegally logged and deforested areas. Chain of Custody Standards can be applied in any country worldwide who imports or sells wood products from certified forests.
Q: Which forest certification systems should you look for when sourcing wood? How are they different from one another?
A: There are many credible forest certification standards. In particular, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) all can provide assurance that the wood products are sourced from sustainably managed forests. Globally, SFI meets PEFC’s internationally recognized benchmarks for responsible forestry. This endorsement ensures that SFI-certified products are accepted globally as sustainably sourced, allowing them to carry the PEFC label in international markets.
DID YOU KNOW?
PEFC’s International Scope | PEFC International works through national forest certification systems, enabling countries to tailor their forest management requirements to their specific forest ecosystems, the legal and administrative framework, the socio-cultural context and other relevant factors. Over 70 percent of all certified forests globally are certified to PEFC.
As a furniture designer or industry professional, the best thing you can do is request the wood be certified to any of these credible forest certification programs. Many industry professionals have forest policies that give preference to wood products that are certified to any of these reputable certification standards.
And while there are some small differences between each certification program, the three used in North America all promote principles, criteria and objectives based on sustainable forest management, including reforestation, reasonable harvesting quotas and protection of wildlife habitat, soils, water and surrounding ecosystems.
Q: Do certified forest products cost more and how can I verify that my wood supplier is certified?
A: Typically, there is not an additional cost associated with using certified forest products. However, each manufacturer or supplier is different in how they market their certified forest products. The easiest way to verify the certification status is to request an on-product label. All forest certification programs also have an on-line searchable database to find suppliers.
Q: What are the benefits of using certified forest products in furniture fabrication?
A: Sourcing wood from certified forests demonstrates to your customers a commitment to producing furniture responsibly. Using and promoting your use of certified forest products can also boost brand equity and even attract more customers. Recent market research shows that more and more people are looking for responsibly sourced wood products, especially when they come with proper certifications. This shift seems to mirror the growing environmental awareness among consumers, who are prioritizing sustainable choices for their homes. What’s interesting is that many are willing to spend more, especially when they’re labelled and given clear, reliable information about sustainable forest management. That’s why it’s crucial to back up those claims with certifications that are globally recognized.
DID YOU KNOW?
Forest Certification Product Labels | Forest certification labels are recognized globally and help customers choose products from responsibly managed forests. This helps consumers differentiate between products based on a globally recognized standard of responsible forest management and fibre sourcing. Labels tell the consumer about wood fibre from certified forests, recycled material, and other responsible sources in a product.
Q: Do consumers really trust or even care about environmental certifications? And, if so, how can I communicate the value of certified forest products to my customers?
More and more consumers care about the impact of the buying decisions, and want to ensure the products they are purchasing support positive environmental outcomes.
In one study, more than 85% of consumers expressed a desire to avoid products that harm the environment and related biodiversity. Furthermore, consumers increasingly value sustainability claims, with 95% believing their personal actions can help reduce unsustainable waste, tackle climate change, and protect wildlife. When it comes to SFI, we know through consumer research conducted by Shelton Group, that 52% of Americans have heard of the SFI label, and 90% of those people say they trust it.
There are many ways to communicate the value of certified forest products to your customers. Organizations do this through ads, point-of-purchase materials, sustainability or ESG reports, and their websites. Certification programs and their websites offer a wealth of information you can share with your buyers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Programs Can Help You Promote Certification | Programs like SFI can help you effectively explain the benefits of using certified forest products for both your business and your customers. SFI’s website has easily accessible and comprehensive documents and resources you can download, review, or share. You can also check out FSC’s furniture resources, as well as PEFC’s website dedicated to wood-based furniture.
CERTIFICATION WEB RESOURCES
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
forests.org
PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
pefc.org
Forest Stewardship Council
fsc.org