Wood. How much of it do you have in your home? Have you ever thought about the origins of that butcher-block cutting board, sitting on your kitchen counter? Your couch, your bed frame, the cabinets in your bathroom, the shelves that hold your treasured books and the paper within those books, probably all were made from wood. Each item came from a tree, a tree that took a minimum of ten years to grow from sapling to harvest age.
Better yet, look past the tree and see the forest it grew from. Was it an old growth forest? Did the wood from that clock on the wall originate from a plantation in Oregon or was it cut from a source, vital to the livelihoods of an indigenous people? The concern for trees and their fruition isn't just a matter of saving the Brazilian rain forest. Many people's lives depend on forestation as well as deforestation.
The Forest Stewardship Council was begun in Germany in 1993 as a membership organization, dedicated to promoting sustainability in every aspect of wood production from forest to mill to merchandise.
The FSC is made up of industry-related companies and small businesses with a desire to cultivate forests and provide materials that are socially and ecologically acceptable. The FSC has adopted a logical approach that recognizes the values of both producers and environmentalists. The FSC sets standards for responsible forest management. They also apply those standards to a "chain-of-custody" system that insures your pack of note cards (with the FSC logo) came from an FSC-certified merchant, printer, paper mill and forest. With an FSC mark you can be sure that your coat rack or mantelpiece was supplied by stewards of the land as opposed to plunderers.
At the Earth Summit of 1992, sociologists, environmentalists, loggers and foresters met and agreed that if the world's governments could not cooperate on global forest issues, someone must. Out of that came the formation of the FSC General Assembly in 1993. The FSC established a national chapter in Washington D.C. in 1995 and now the FSC Network -based in Bonn, Germany - claims offices in 40 countries.
In order to obtain FSC certification, one's business must be inspected and approved by a third-party, accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council. The forester may apply for a Forest Management Certificate. The paper mill operator, furniture manufacturer or lumber supplier may apply for a Chain of Custody Certificate. This certification process automatically connects all the steps in the production of forest goods.
Here is a brief overview of FSC Principles:
01. Compliance With Laws & FSC Principals
The FSC will respect the laws of all countries as well as FSC criteria and principles.
02. Tenure and Use Rights & Responsibilities
Who uses the land and for how long, must be established legally.
03. Indigenous People's Rights
The rights of the people that live on the land must be recognized and honored.
04. Community Relations ad Worker's Rights
Forests under the FSC must nurture and maintain the socio-economic interest of workers and local communities.
05. Benefits from the Forest
An FSC-certified forest must be efficient yet beneficial, commercially, ecologically and socially.