Independent Forest and Chain of Custody Certification Program
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Based upon 13 years of leading work in forest management and chain-of-custody certification, SCS believes that the market is ready for a new, truly independent and non-aligned certification program. The marketplace of certification services is best served by more, rather than fewer choices.
Unlike most program launches, the SCS Independent Forest and Chain of Custody Certification Program is already time-tested and broadly recognized in global forest products markets. In simple terms, the protocols and standards that formed the basis of SCS’s FSC-accredited certification program are now available in a program option independent from the FSC.
As longstanding professional certification practitioners, SCS understands that the value of certification is intrinsically tied to the credibility of the program. A credible certification program must integrate the following components:
- Rigorous certification criteria that recognize those operations practicing exemplary forest management, as defined in terms of environmental, economic and social performance measures. For chain-of-custody certification, the standards must rigorously assure that the integrity of certified supplies is maintained throughout the value chain, from the forests of origin to final points of purchase.
- Technically competent evaluation protocols that effectively, consistently and transparently ascertain conformance with the certification criteria.
- Written reports that detail the findings of the expert team’s evaluation and conclusions.
- Peer review of forest management certification evaluation reports by one or more forest science experts prior to rendering a certification decision.
- Ongoing compliance monitoring of all certificate holders, entailing periodic surveillance audits (typically annual).
- Continuous improvement mechanisms designed to assure that the SCS Independent Forest and Chain of Custody Certification Program remains at the cutting edge of certification in the forest products sector.
For information about SCS's Independent Forest and Chain of Custody Certification
Program, contact Dr. Robert Hrubes at 
.