The two quality marks for
sustainable forest management compared Sustainable forest management is something of the present, but even more so of the future. To stop the large-scale destruction of forests, we must opt for sustainable forest management. Certifications have been created to prove the origin of products from sustainably managed forests. The two best known are FSC and PEFC.
THE FSC QUALITY MARK HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS AND IS ONE OF THE OLDEST SUSTAINABLE QUALITY MARKS. The quality mark was created when it became clear that deforestation was becoming an increasingly bigger problem. Forests were poorly managed or even disappeared completely to make way for agriculture, mining or livestock. In 1993, a group of businesses, governments and environmental organisations decided things had to change. What was needed, was a system that helps and encourages forest owners to manage forests properly. This can be done by harvesting and marketing products from the forest in a responsible manner. The proceeds provide the forest owner with the means to properly manage the forest. The FSC quality mark was born! More than 220 million hectares of forest worldwide are now FSC certified. That is more than fifty (!) times the area of the Netherlands. And all those forests have one thing in common: the forest is all still there, and it is managed with respect for the people and animals that depend on that forest. This is possible because we all purchase FSC products. This demand for, for example, FSC wood and FSC paper products enables the forest manager to give the forest and its inhabitants a future!
PEFC™ IS THE WORLDWIDE INDEPENDENT QUALITY MARK FOR PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT PEFC was founded in 1999 by various organisations from 11 European countries committed to promoting sustainable forest management. The countries were supported in this by representatives of more than 15 million forest owners. Since 2004, PEFC has become a global organisation with national members spread across all continents. Currently, there are members from more than 50 countries, including the Netherlands. As an entrepreneur who uses wood or paper products, you increasingly have to deal with clients who demand sustainable products, driven by the sustainability idea within their own organisation. A short, but powerful answer to this is to offer a product with the internationally recognised PEFC quality mark. The comprehensive package of requirements of the PEFC colour mark guarantees the sustainability requirements of the client are met in all areas. This way, you can be sure that the forest will also remain a forest, biodiversity will be preserved, the water and soil quality will remain good and people can do their work safely, in good working conditions.
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