 |
|
|
|
Timber Legality VerificationIllegal logging harms not just the environment and local communities but also the companies that are already operating responsibly within the boundaries of existing laws and regulations. Governments worldwide are strengthening the legal frameworks that regulate the trade of wood and wood products. The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program has developed standards and procedures for independent third-party verification of wood legality. Want to source verified timber? See our list of active clients. The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program offers forest product companies voluntary independent third-party verification of legal status for the sources of raw materials for their products. We are recognized by Greenpeace International as the top-ranked verification program. Achieving SmartWood legality verification supports companies in their work to demonstrate due care/due diligence in their sourcing of wood and wood products. Such demonstration of due care can assist companies in reducing the risk of importing, exporting or trading illegal timber, acts which are now punishable by law in the United States, as per the amendments to the Lacey Act. Smartwood offers a two-tiered approach to legality verification: Verification of Legal Origin and Verification of Legal Compliance.
It is important to recognize that "legal origin" is not the same as "legal compliance." Legal origin is about meeting the administrative requirements of permitting, planning, taxes or fees, and harvesting in defined areas. Legal compliance encompasses a broader range of laws on environmental protection, wildlife, water and soil conservation, harvesting codes and practices, worker health and safety, and fairness to communities. Legality verification services are available both to forest management enterprises as well as to companies producing and selling wood products and to companies wishing to verify the sources of products they purchase. Learn more about the verification processes for forest management enterprises and the wood processing industry. A Phased Approach to FSC Certification
These verification services can involve audits of forest areas, but do not result in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The Rainforest Alliance considers legality verification as a first step towards FSC certification only. We therefore require that verified organizations undertake activities to attain full certification. For forest managers who wish to enter into a formal stepwise approach to FSC certification, we offer support and third-party evaluation of progress towards this goal through our SmartStep program. The Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) and Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC) standards are applicable to forest sources (forest management enterprises), processors, manufacturers, traders, and suppliers of wood products within a defined supply chain. The supply chain may be within a single country or region or several countries. 
Case Study: DLH Group's journey through the verification process
Verification of a candidate operation can occur in isolation (a single FMU or processing facility) or as part of a more complex supply chain including several sources and/or processing facilities. SmartWood will verify Chain of Custody back to the forest source through all entities included in the scope of the specific supply chain. The steps for participating in SmartWood's VLO and VLC services include the following:
The generic Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) and Compliance (VLC) standards are global in scope and are applicable to forest managers, traders, producers and suppliers of forest products either as individual companies or as parts of a defined supply chain. Regionally- or nationally-adapted standards are developed for the legal frameworks specific to the areas in which they are applied. These standards will follow the framework of our generic legality standards and will be adapted to account for relevant laws, regulations, acts, and decrees defined for the given jurisdiction. These versions will draw from existing multi-stakeholder processes or definitions of legality, as they exist, and will be developed through consultation with stakeholders. We actively solicit comments on these standards and appreciate your input. Links to these VLO/VLC standards are organized by country and region below. Standards and PoliciesGeneric Standards
Country and Region Legality Standards
Advice Notes and Guidance
To apply for Rainforest Alliance's timber legality verification services:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Find out how you can use the Rainforest Alliance verification mark.
