Forest Certification
Consumers, companies, and public authorities are imposing more and more guarantees on the origin of wood and advocating practices that respect the environment and people.
Cameroon
WHY CERTIFY YOUR FOREST AND WOOD ACTIVITIES?
- Strengthen existing commercial positions and conquer new markets
- Protect forest resources and make a visible commitment;
- Obtain a strong lever for differentiating your forest products and improve your brand image, by adopting an approach known to consumers
- Ensuring the traceability and legality of forest resources
Complaint management here
CERTIFICATION FSC® (FSC® A000504)
The FSC® certification system makes it possible to promote wood products from responsible forest management. It corresponds on the one hand to the principles of sustainable development and good practices applied to forest management and on the other hand to the traceability of wood from these forests, applied to industry.
The provision of FSC® certification services is done in association with Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS.
Check out the FSC® standards here
PAFC SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION
What is the PAFC CONGO BASIN certification?
PAFC Congo Basin is the forest certification system, the result of the pooling of efforts of three national PAFC organizations, including Cameroon, Congo and Gabon with the support of PEFC International.
The development of a sustainable forest management certification scheme in the Congo Basin makes it possible to meet present needs while preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity for future generations.
The certification of sustainable forest management through the PAFC Congo Basin makes it possible to fight deforestation, preserve biodiversity, implement actions to mitigate the impact of activities on the climate and take into consideration the needs of local and indigenous communities in order to promote local development.
Certification according to the PAFC Congo Basin standard attests to the good forest management as well as the traceability of wood and wood forest products from the sustainably managed forests of these countries. Also, this certification, coupled with that following the PEFC Chain of Custody standard, aims to certify that all PAFC Congo Basin certified forest products have been verified throughout their supply chains from their origin to the point of sale.
Historical:
The idea of the Pan-African Forest Certification (PAFC) forest certification system appeared in the early 2000s. The objective of the creation of PAFC is to develop sustainable forest management in Central African countries based on the requirements of the PEFC, the references of which are internationally recognized.
Local PAFC organizations believe that sustainable forest management plays a key role in developing a strong forest economy in producer countries.
Of the three PAFC initiatives in the Congo Basin, the scheme developed by PAFC Gabon is the first that was recognized by the PEFC Council in 2009.
In 2018, the PAFC organizations of Gabon, Cameroon and Congo, decided to pool their efforts to develop a regional forest certification scheme called PAFC Congo Basin.In December 2020, the three PAFC organizations submitted the PAFC Congo Basin scheme to the PEFC for recognition.
On December 9, 2021, the PEFC Council recognized the PAFC Congo Basin regional scheme.
On January 1, 2022, the PAFC Congo Basin officially comes into force.
Who can benefit from PAFC certification?
The PAFC Congo Basin forest certification is intended for any concessionaire or manager whose forest has a management plan.
It is intended for companies that want to communicate their sustainable forest management practices to their customers and various other stakeholders.
What are the main benefits of PAFC certification?
PAFC Congo Basin aims to promote and implement the Pan-African Forest Certification System (PAFC).
By becoming a PAFC certified,
You will contribute to the management, protection and enhancement of the national and regional forest heritage;
You are recognized as a major player in sustainable forest management;
You are signalling your support for an internationally recognised sustainable forest management scheme;
You facilitate the sale of your wood by joining a global PEFC-certified chain of custody network;
You respond to the demand of companies in the sector, the requirements of the public authorities and the demand of consumers;
You increase the value of the forest.
You contribute to the promotion of local development.
You are helping to limit the harmful effects on the climate through your practices.
WHY CHOOSE BUREAU VERITAS DOUALA?
Bureau Veritas is:
A long experience in the certification of forest management systems and processing activities of certified wood products under different schemes (FSC®, PEFC... etc.) including the PAFC Congo Basin.
The desire to constantly align itself with the main challenges related to the preservation of biodiversity.
A force for proposing solutions adapted to the challenges of the day.
Assurance and guarantee of the quality of independent third-party certification operations by obtaining accreditations from the various bodies including:
Accreditation under the FSC-A000504 code by ASI (verifiable on www.asi-assurance.org) for the FSC scheme.
Accreditation n°3-0016 by TUNAC (Scope available on www.tunac.tn) for the PAFC Congo Basin scheme.
An extensive network to meet your needs on a global scale.
More than 2500 customers who have already trusted Bureau Veritas to manage their needs under different certification systems and offer them a level of assurance for their forestry activity.
View the PAFC documents here
Check out the PAFC standards here
OLB CERTIFICATION
The woods' origins and legality
Ensure the legality of wood buying
Illegal wood has been at the heart of private and public wood supply policies for the past two decades. Governments and intergovernmental organisations take this challenge very seriously, enacting stringent legislation to combat unethical behavior.
These issues translate into an increasing demand for assurances of the legality of timber purchases at the level of timber sector operators, an aspect that cannot be separated from awareness of geographical origin.
OLB: A certificate of wood's legality
In response to client requests for a legitimate, third-party certificate regarding the legality of their wood, Bureau Veritas Certification established the OLB (Origin and Legality of Wood) scheme. It is based on:
- a forest operator/manager certificate,
- a chain of custody certificate for industrialists and traders.
The legality of wood certificate is dependent on forestry companies adhering to the reference frame for certification. This document outlines the requirements for complying with the laws governing timber management and exploitation, jobs, and worker protection, as well as the climate and the environment.
environmental sensitivity Furthermore, it focuses on the traceability of wood inside the business before it is sold or transformed for the first time.
The chain of custody referential is followed in the certification of wood processing and trading firms. This document outlines the requirements for obtaining the right to use the OLB mark on the goods of a company.
OLB is an international scheme based on the following principles:
- strict and full legality; - a traceability provision tailored to forestry companies;
- an easy-to-use and effective wood monitoring system (chain of custody).
Consult the list of OLB Certified companies (only available in French) HERE
Consult the OLB documents (only available in French) HERE