Our thanks to colleagues who provided feedback and reaction to our recent article on the pending EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).  For those following this subject and (like us) trying to understand it better, here are a couple of useful links for additional reading and study: The Certification Body (CB) "Preferred by Nature" have a very comprehensive summary on their website.  As an organization, PbN seem curiously pleased at the prospect of EUDR implementation, but their detailed outlines...

When we wrote our article last summer about Due Diligence Systems (DDS), it seemed as if the situation for wood product DDS had begun to settle down.  That was less than a year ago, but it is already clear that we were wrong. In the past, it has typically been program changes from the FSC or PEFC that confuse and complicate things.  In this case, however, it is the European Union (EU) government that threatens to disrupt global markets for wood products.  Late last year an agreement was...

We need to call your attention, once again, to the important FSC Controlled Wood program.  This is FSC’s approach to the ubiquitous problem of Due Diligence.  For many of us, it lurks behind the scenes and out of sight.  We need to remember, however, that it is essential for holding together the whole marketplace for certified wood products.  Without Controlled Wood, CoC certification simply will not work. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) completed the last major overhaul of its Controlled...

With the latest updates to the SFI, FSC, and PEFC Chain of Custody standards, the subject of Due Diligence has become more universally applicable for certified companies.  This – of course – means more questions about practical application and how the standards differ. Due Diligence Systems (DDS) follow a widely applied international, 3-part norm: Information Gathering Risk Assessment Risk Mitigation They require a bit more defining detail when applied as part of certified Chain of Custody...

It’s hard to believe that it was only two years ago that we wrote this blog post about the effect that COVID 19 was having on the wood product certification business.  It feels like just yesterday.  It also feels like a lifetime ago.  I suppose it may be both. Reading our reflections and concerns from June 2020 is a little embarrassing.  In those days, we still viewed the global pandemic as a short-term disruption to our typical day-to-day routines.  Now – over two years later – we can see...

Eight years ago, in the spring and summer of 2014, we published a 5-part series of articles entitled “CoC SHOULD BE EASY!”.  The series made the case that Chain of Custody certification for FSC, PEFC, & SFI didn’t have to be complicated.  Applying a short list of straightforward business practices should allow any company to become certified and use these programs to add value to their business.  Easy! The ideas in that series formed the foundation for MixedWood’s consulting practice from...