What does Stewardship do?

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, international non-profit organization focused on promoting responsible forest management. Established in 1993 in Toronto, Canada, the FSC addresses global concerns about deforestation and environmental degradation. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, it serves as a multi-stakeholder forum where NGOs, businesses, and civil society collaborate to set social and environmental criteria for forest management. The FSC provides a certification and accreditation system that helps businesses and consumers identify products from responsibly managed forests. Its core services include forest management certification, chain of custody certification, and the development of standards tailored to various legal and ecological contexts. The FSC certification label is applied to a wide range of forest-derived products, ensuring they come from environmentally and socially responsible sources. The organization works to create consumer demand for FSC-certified products, encouraging sustainable practices among forest owners and companies.