SFI Inc. is a fully independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. We work with conservation groups, local communities, resource professionals, landowners, and countless other organizations and individuals who share our passion for responsible forest management.

Our Board of Directors represents environmental, social and economic interests equally, and we address local needs through a unique grassroots network of SFI Implementation Committees.

Our forest certification standard is based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with exceptional conservation value.

The standard is used widely across North America, and has strong acceptance in the global marketplace so we can deliver a steady supply of third-party certified wood from well-managed forests. This is especially important because of the growing demand for green building and responsible paper purchasing at a time when only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified.

Voluntary third-party forest certification began in the 1990s in response to market concerns about forest management and illegal logging, primarily in developing countries. Today, SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving a sustainable forestry certification program that is internationally recognized and among the largest in the world.

The SFI 2005-2009 Standard is based on principles and measures that promote sustainable forest management and consider all forest values. It includes unique fiber sourcing requirements promoting responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands.

SFI certification also extends to the market. When they see the SFI label on a product, consumers can be confident they are buying wood or paper from well-managed, legal sources – whether it is reams of paper, packaging or two-by-fours.

http://www.sfiprogram.org/files/pdf/SFI%20key%20facts1.pdf

The SFI program at large is made up of the following components.

SFI forest certification promotes responsible forestry practices. To be certified, forest operations across the United States and Canada must be audited against the SFI forest standard.

SFI chain-of-custody certification extends into the marketplace by tracking fiber content from certified lands through production and manufacturing to the end product. Consumers who buy products with the SFI “percent-content” label know they are buying assurance of well-managed forests.

SFI fiber sourcing requirements address the reality of global fiber markets and the fact that only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified. Program participants must ensure the raw material in their supply chain comes from legal and responsible sources, whether the forests are certified or not.

SFI labels are recognized globally and provide a visual cue to help customers source certified forest products.

SFI program requirements are audited by independent, third-party certification bodies to ensure they conform.