NSF and Soil Association Team Up to Offer SFI® and FSC® Forestry Certifications

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF subsidiary NSF Certification, LLC and Soil Association Certification Forestry, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Soil Association, today announced an agreement to offer certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC) responsible forest management standards.

“With this agreement, NSF and the Soil Association will be able to provide these important forest management standards at the same time through a single process,” said Stacey Mack, Program Manager of Sustainability at NSF. “By working together, we make the process much more convenient for companies seeking more than one certification.”

The collaboration enables organizations to certify to a full suite of forestry certifications with all-in-one project management and a single point of contact, streamlining processes and making communications more effective. U.S.-based NSF will provide certification to the SFI^® standard while the UK-based Soil Association will certify to the FSC^® standard. These certifications can also be combined with another forestry offering, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC).

“Our collaboration with NSF allows for the expansion of forestry solutions globally through one seamless process. Soil Association’s forestry services will help NSF meet their customers’ needs by bringing an international perspective to their work, as well as supporting them to build on their knowledge of responsible forestry practices and demonstrate their commitment to the environment,” said Kevin Jones, Head of Forestry at the Soil Association.

The SFI^® and FSC^® standards offer different types of certification, including

• Forest management: Forest management systems aim to balance commercial values with preservation of forest health and diversity.
• Procurement: Organizations sourcing wood directly from forests are required to show that the raw material in their supply chain comes from legal and responsibly-managed sources.
• Chain of Custody: Chain of custody tracks fiber from certified forest content, through manufacturing, to end products.

Visit NSF's web page on sustainability services or email sustainability@nsf.org for more information.

Editor’s Note: For media requests or to schedule an interview with an NSF expert, please contact Thomas Frey, APR, at media@nsf.org or +1 734 214 6242.

In 2019, NSF is celebrating 75 years of protecting and improving human health. The independent, global organization facilitates standards development, and tests, audits and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences, sustainability and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. With operations in 180 countries, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

Soil Association Certification is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Soil Association and has been certifying organic food and farming since 1973. Since 1996, it has also certified Forest Management (FM) and Chain of Custody (COC) with its Soil Association Certification Forestry team. Soil Association Certification is one of a select few organizations able to deliver both Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) certification globally (FSC^® A000525, PEFC/16-44-917), safeguarding sustainable forest management for timber product sourcing. It currently certifies over 15 million hectares of forestry worldwide. Soil Association Certification’s Chief Executive is Martin Sawyer and its independent board is chaired by Nick Buckland. To find out more visit https://www.soilassociation.org/forestry.