MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - A new report from Dovetail Partners, a Minneapolis-based non-profit, explains chain of custody certification requirements for forest products companies. The new report helps clarify requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). It also discusses options for group certification.

One of the reasons for releasing a new report on chain-of-custody was to address the recent changes made in the certification standards. The FSC has introduced revised criteria for group chain-of-custody that expands opportunities for small businesses in the U.S. and can reduce costs from 50-80% for qualifying companies.

“There are about 30,000 companies around the world that are participating in chain-of-custody certification. This is just a small fraction of the companies that are part of the forest product supply chain. For the certified product marketplace to function efficiently, more companies need to be engaged,” says Kathryn Fernholz, Executive Director of Dovetail Partners and lead author of the report.

The report was made possible through support from the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA).

“Our members are interested in better understanding their company’s certification options and what is involved with the process so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to participate,” says Gary Vitale, President of NAWLA. NAWLA has approximately 500 members in the United States and Canada.

“Certification can be a complex and costly process, especially for small businesses. Group certification can help overcome these challenges through the help of a group manager and with costs distributed across group members,” says Fernholz.

For more information, and to access the full report, visit: http://www.dovetailinc.org

Source: Dovetail Partners