FSC and SFI eco-labels duke it out over forestry certification

The rivalry between the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative is coming to a head in a U.S. court and before the U.S. Green Building Council. Will FSC, founded by environmental groups, remain the premier standard for responsible forestry or will the industry-backed SFI successfully unseat its eco-foe?

Below is an interesting article about the market implications of this eco-label dispute which could have serious consequences for many of B.C.'s FSC-certified mills and forest managers.

Environmental Groups Spar Over Certifications of Wood and Paper Products

By MIREYA NAVARRO
New York Times
Published: September 11, 2009

For more than a decade, the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council generally has been viewed as the premier judge of whether a wood or paper product should be labeled as environmentally friendly.

But to the dismay of major environmental groups, that label, known as F.S.C., is facing a stiff challenge from a rival certification system supported by the paper and timber industry. At stake is the trust of consumers in the ever-expanding market for “green” products.

This week lawyers for ForestEthics, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting forests, filed administrative complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Internal Revenue Service challenging the credibility of the rival label, known as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or S.F.I.  READ MORE >

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