10 With the increased focus on matters certification, it is perhaps worthwhile to stand back and lay out in very simple terms exactly what markets are looking for and what we as suppliers need to do to meet this requirement. Markets (including NCT) use certification as a tool to demonstrate to customers in a credible, independently audited, manner, that they are: • sourcing material that is sustainable, • timber is ethically (and legally) harvested and sourced, • moves along a traceable supply chain, • and is from a verifiable source. Certification is also used to demonstrate corporate responsibility. There are various certification routes that different markets look at, and these mostly include the better-known Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification® (PEFC®), or for biomass material, the Sustainable Biomass Program® (SBP®). A recent acronym that you will have heard bandied about is EUDR, which is the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products. This is not certification, but a regulation that must be complied with to allow product entry to the EU. Again, certification is a tool that can be used to help demonstrate compliance with EUDR. It is worth noting that while one may not need to comply with EUDR for sale into Asian markets, those Asian markets will often require EUDR-compliance as they process your input and then sell this product on into the EU. Which still means you will need to be EUDR-compliant for sale into Asia. PEFC & FSC forest management certification requires a grower to comply to set standards. You are then audited against these standards and can then sell your timber as certified if found compliant. This timber is the top tier of what NCT sources for its markets and is reflected by the payment of a premium (currently R50/t). Most times this also includes market access, as key markets require certain percentages of certified timber, which in turn may have allocation implications for NCT members. There are various routes that suppliers may gain forest management certification. This includes either joining the NCT FSC group scheme or another group scheme. In either case, the certification credits are recognised. Underpinning forest management certification is legal compliance. This is an issue that many suppliers may grapple with, given the complexity of legislation in South Africa. You can use certification as a tool to assist you with this. A simplified overview of t – Colin Summersgill –
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