19. Jan 2026

Forest Stewardship Council®

What is FSC®?

FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) – or the Council for Responsible Forest Management. It is international non-profit organization relating to responsible and sustainable forest management, also taking into account factors social, economic and ecological. It was established in 1993 as a response to the growing lack of agreement between government organizations on deforestation issues.

Currently, FSC® operates in over 80 countries. It has developed widely recognized and accepted standards for forest management and the management of the forest product chain. It was created primarily for managers of large forest areas. It is perceived as one of the the most reliable, therefore, it is the only one supported by the most important environmental organizations.

The FSC® label guarantees, that wood and forest products come from controlled sources – from harvesting raw materials in the forest to the final product. The standards developed by FSC® can be subject to certification by various entities involved in the supply chain.

What types of certificates do we distinguish?

FSC® CoC - Chain of Custody Certification

Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification – provides confirmation that the timber or other raw material of wood origin used for production, processing or sale comes from certified sources. This means that the raw material is obtained legally with respect for human rights and the natural environment.

To maintain the FSC® mark on the final product, all organizations in the supply chain that take ownership of the raw material, intermediate product and finished product, must have their own certificate.

Currently operating in Poland over 2,500 business entities, that have been awarded the CoC Supply Chain Certification. This system is aimed at a wide range of companies operating in the wood and paper industry, including:

Printing house
Producers of paper and paper products, e.g. drinking straws, labels, towels
Manufacturers of cardboard, wooden and paper packaging
Manufacturers of furniture and wooden components
Manufacturers of wooden houses and other wooden structural elements
Producers of wood and paper goods
Manufacturers of wooden household items, games and toys
Wood processing plants
Sawmills
Firewood producers
Entities trading in timber and derived products
Publishers
Window and door manufacturers

Worth knowing: CoC certification can increase contractors' confidence and also allows participation in international supply chains that require confirmation of the origin of raw materials.

FSC® FM - Forest Management Certification

Forest Management (FM) Certification – it confirms that the forest is managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, but also economically profitable. It is intended for managers and owners of forests and forest areas.

FSC® has developed a list of 10 principles, which, as certificate holders, they must comply with:

Compliance with the law – compliance with the law in force in a given country.
Employee rights and employment conditions – guarantee of maintaining or improving the economic and social conditions of employees.
Indigenous rights – respecting the customs of indigenous peoples regarding forest use.
Collaboration with communities – forest areas have an impact on maintaining or improving the economic and social conditions of local communities.
The benefits of the forest – managing the forest in such a way that it is economically, environmentally and socially profitable.

Natural values and environmental impact – taking actions that contribute to the improvement of natural values and at the same time reduce the destructive impact on the environment.
Management planning – creating a management plan that is consistent with the policy and goals of a given organization.
Monitoring and evaluation – proving that the organization monitors and evaluates its activities.
Special conservation values – a guarantee of maintaining or improving the specific conservation values in a given area.
Implementation of economic activities – implementing a management plan that is consistent with the policies and objectives of the organization.

Benefits of being FSC® certified

In modern times Customers' environmental awareness is growing. More and more often they are willing to pay more for a product if it comes with a guarantee that it was made in a sustainable way, without contributing to the gradual deterioration of our planet.

This is the guarantee FSC® marking on the products purchased.

In addition, there are a number of other benefits to having a certificate:

It gives possibility of cooperation with the most important organizations in the wood industry
Increases trust customers to your products
It gives opportunity to participate in certified Supply Chains
It gives you a chance to expanding the sales market and acquiring new customers
Guaranteed, that the wood raw material used in the company comes from from certified forests
Helps to fulfill requirements of the largest retail chains
It fits into the idea fight against climate change
Helps meet EUDR requirements - Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on deforestation and forest degradation.
It improves company image
It gives a guarantee, that we do not contribute to the degradation of the natural environment
Increases access to key international markets
It gives you the opportunity to mark your products with the FSC® Logo, recognized worldwide

How to obtain FSC® certification?

1. Having suppliers with certified raw materials

The organization must have a supplier that offers certified raw material or a semi-finished product that meets the requirements of the supply chain control system (CoC).
If a company does not have such a supplier, it can find one in international FSC® database, which lists all certificate holders worldwide. A second option could be to offer your current clients an approach to certification.

2. Implementation of the FSC® standard requirements

– in order to implement FSC® requirements in a company, the requirements of the current edition of the FSC-STD-40-004 standard, applicable to a given organization, must be met, available in the Polish version at https://pl.fsc.org/pl-pl/standardy-i-inne-dokumenty. An advisor or consulting firm can be helpful in the process of developing, implementing, and then maintaining and adapting the system, especially for entrepreneurs who have never used this system before.

3. Employee training

Once you've implemented the system's requirements in your company, you'll need to train your employees to familiarize them with the standard's requirements and how to proceed with the production, storage, inspection, and sale of certified products. All employees should be familiar with the company's management's commitment to the values promoted by FSC®.

4. Passing the certification audit

Once you have implemented the required procedures in your organization, you can proceed to the certification audit (consisting of phases 1 and 2), which must be carried out by accredited certification body accredited to this standard. During Phase 1 of the audit, the organization's readiness for certification is assessed. The auditor may identify areas requiring improvement. Phase 2 of the audit is the core certification process. The auditor must assess whether the implemented system meets the requirements of the FSC-STD-40-004 standard.

If the organization successfully passes this stage, the certificate is awarded for a five-year period, although annual surveillance audits are required to maintain it. A unique certificate number is assigned, which the company can use when selling products bearing the FSC® mark. A license number is also issued to use the FSC® trademark.

Source: https://pl.fsc.org/pl-pl/o-fsc-0

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Is FSC® certification mandatory?

No, but it is becoming more and more common a condition for cooperation with large contractors and is required in public tenders or by retail chains.