The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a non-profit organization committed to advancing sustainable forest management. SFI’s standards and product labels aid consumers in making responsible decisions and promote market visibility of certified forest products, such as wood, paper, and packaging items. SFI has developed a set of three certification standards—the SFI Forest Management Standard, the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard, and the SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard.
The SFI Forest Management Standard is designed for organizations in the United States or Canada that own or manage forests. Its requirements include measures that protect water quality, biodiversity, endangered species, workers’ rights, and the rights of Indigenous peoples, amongst others. The SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard applies to manufacturers that use wood fiber. Participants are required to prove that their raw materials are acquired from legal, responsible sources. The SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard follows forest fiber content across the supply chain, from production and manufacturing to the final product, to ensure that all sources are responsible.
Certification involves an auditing process by an accredited third-party certification body. These bodies evaluate each operation based on conformities, non-conformities, corrective action plans, opportunities for improvement, and exceptional practices. If found to be in accordance with relevant SFI requirements, a certificate is issued. Certified operations are required to conduct annual surveillance audits, and full recertification audits every three years for forest management and fiber sourcing certificates, and every five years for chain-of-custody certificates. Search for SFI certified products according to product category on SFI’s Certificate Database.