What is a Group Chain of Custody Certification Scheme?

The demand for Certified Hardwoods is at last gaining momentum and we forecast a significant increase in demand as more forests become certified and customers are made more aware of the importance of products produced from certified timber. The one main problem we find is that our customers are reluctant to pay the cost of establishing the chain of custody, which is required in order for them to market their products as Certified.

We are now pleased to advise that a chain of custody can be established at a minimum cost by joining a Group Chain of Custody Certification Scheme. This type of scheme is available through The Independent Forestry Group Scheme. Group chain of custody certification schemes can offer significant cost savings to woodland owners, timber buyers, sawmillers and processors who are seeking a chain of custody certificate which gives the assurance that any product bearing an FSC or PEFC label, or sold as FSC or PEFC Certified, is produced from material that originates from certified forests. Chain of custody controls must be implemented at all critical points in the process under assessment. Critical control points are those where there is significant risk of certified materials becoming mixed with uncertified materials, under either normal or abnormal operating conditions. For simplicity purposes, the person(s) seeking membership of the group scheme for chain of custody is referred to as the organisation. The FSC and PEFC have licensed a number of Certifying Bodies around the World and it is these bodies which certify forest management and chain of custody.

Group Chain of Custody Certification is a system whereby a Group Manager carries out the assessments of a member organisation, liaises directly with the certification body and so leaves the organisation to carry on with their business with the minimum of disruption. A single person becomes the Group Manager for a number of organisations. It is the responsibility of the Group Manager to ensure that chain of custody is carried out by each member of the group in a transparent way and in accordance with the rules of the group. The Group Manager must also carry out an annual monitoring of each and every member in accordance with FSC or PEFC rules.

Once a group scheme is established a sample of the organisations must be monitored annually by the certification body for the certificate to remain valid and this offers significant savings over individual chain of custody certification. Both the Certificationbody and FSC or PEFC have the right to access the group member’s documentation and installations for the purpose of evaluation and monitoring. Independent Forestry is a specialist Forest Management Company, based in the UK. The Principal Partner, David Ogg, achieved both Resource and Group Manager certification in 1999 under the SGS Qualifor programme. He is now able to offer the Management of Group of Schemes in other countries around the world as well as professional guidance to setting up your own scheme. At the time of printing David Ogg is the only Group Chain of Custody Manager in the world able to offer both FSC and PEFC chain of custody certification.

Details are available from:–
David Ogg MICFor. MBIAC
Independent Forestry, Westgate, Thornton le Dale,
Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 7SG.
Telephone: 01751 477965. Mobile: 07778 134141
Email: davidogg@mail.com
www.independentforestry.co.uk