The NZ Forest Certification Association (NZFCA) has just been accepted as the country’s PEFC™ member.
“It makes sense for New Zealand forest growers to be in a position to supply PEFC™ certified forest products to [international] markets,” says the association’s chair Dr Andrew McEwen.
Many countries buying New Zealand forest products – or competing with its exports – are already PEFC™ members, including China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Russia, and the US.
NZFCA hopes to have a PEFC™ endorsed certification system based on the New Zealand Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (NZS AS 4708:2014) in place later this year.
The NZ Standard is based on the Australian Forestry Standard (AS 4708:2013), which is the basis for the PEFC™ endorsed Australian Forest Certification system.
Endorsement by PEFC™ of an NZ forest management system will allow forest owners to obtain certification for their management practices, and allow processors and others along the supply chain to source PEFC™-certified material from local, sustainably managed sources.
Most New Zealand commercial forestry operations are already certified to Forest Stewardship Council criteria.
See more http://www.timberdesignmag.com/articles/certification-double-act/