Both business and government buyers in
Europe and North America have been significant drivers of demand for
certified wood and paper. Businesses concerned about the environmental,
social and/or economic impacts of their forest product purchases often seek
out certified products as part of the solution.
Although
they may not demand certified products explicitly, consumers expect
that the products they purchase are not derived illegally and do not
degrade forest ecosystems. Companies that buy wood and paper products
face substantial marketplace risks if their brands are associated with
poor forest management practices that have detrimental environmental or
social consequences. Companies such as The Home Depot,
IKEA, Kingfisher and others have committed to certified forest products when buying wood for their product lines.
While
purchasing certified products may seem like an obvious decision for
companies that sell forest products directly to consumers, other
companies that use wood and paper for everyday business operations also
have a significant relationship with the world’s
forests.
Companies such as Time Warner, Office Depot, Nike and
Starbucks explicitly
purchase certified forest products according to their own established
policies. These examples demonstrate that companies in different
corporate sectors view certification as a tool for advancing
responsible purchasing efforts.
When
forest certification first emerged as a tool, some businesses thought
that demand for certified products would be driven by the willingness
of the consumer to pay a price premium for forest products labeled as
certified. In fact, few
individual consumers will pay a premium for certified
products. For example, in the U.S. roughly nine percent are
willing to pay more for environmentally preferable products such as
certified forest products.1 Further, most of the certified wood
entering the supply chain is not being labeled as such by the time it
reaches the end user.
1Murphy, C., 2003. “The Next Big Thing,” Fortune Small Business, Vol. 13, No. 5 June 2003. Time Inc., New York, N.Y.
