Third Party Verification

Source Assurance
Certisource can utilise various technologies to independently verify that logs and derived products can be traced to a 'Known Licensed Source'.

Whether the source is demonstrated by DNA sampling and matching or by the use of bar coding and RFID, Certisource can provide clear and independent evidence as to where timber products originated from.

Further information on these methods is available at Technologies & Partners.

Legality Assurance
Certisource carries out a range of independent legality checks to ensure that timber products can irrefutably be described as 'Verified Legal Timber' as defined by WWF's GFTN. The key areas of focus and a brief summary of our legality verification services is provided below -

Land Tenure & Use Rights

  • The forest concession has a legal right to harvest logs
  • All logs originated within the concession boundaries

Timber Harvesting Laws & Regulations

  • Harvest plans have been approved and followed
  • Volume, species and size of harvested logs are compliant with the concession licence

Forest Taxes

  • All appropriate revenue payments have been made by the forest concession

Log Identification, Transfer & Delivery

  • All logs have been marked, transported and delivered in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations

Timber Processing & Shipping

  • Timber processing facilities hold the appropriate licences and have complied with all appropriate laws and regulations
  • All timber exports are in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations

All the above factors are considered when assessing legality but of equal importance is the fact that Certisource independently verifies the facts and also provides crucial and comprehensive tracking services that demonstrate which timber products have been derived from known trees in a forest concession.

Further information on Certisource verification services is available at Source & Verification Workflow.

Certisource Labelling
Certisource will only endorse timber products following the completion of our rigorous audit and inspection procedures.

Certisource operates two forms of product labelling -

Container Dockets
Each container of timber products exported, that is derived from a batch of logs under Certisource verification will be accompanied by a Certisource Container Docket.

The docket provides assurance that the timber products are derived from a 'Known Licensed Source' (as defined by WWF's GFTN) as it has been demonstrated that -

  • No element of the supply chain is clearly illegal
  • It has been independently verified that the forest concession has a legal right to harvest logs
  • All elements of the supply chain have followed, or are following, COC procedures agreed with Certisource

Certificate
The Certisource certificate provides independent assurance that timber products are 'Verified Legal Timber'. For this reason Certisource will only issue a certificate if we can irrefutably prove that -

  • The source of timber has been independently verified using techniques such as DNA analysis and/or other technologies
  • The source of timber is a "Known Licensed Source", as defined by WWF's GFTN
  • All elements of the supply chain have followed COC procedures agreed with Certisource
  • All elements of legality verification have been completed

Non Compliance
In the event that Certisource is unable to issue a single certificate for a batch of timber due to deficiencies in the operating standards of any element of the supply chain, we will review our ongoing involvement with such parties. Dependent upon the nature and degree of the issues, Certisource will respond in one of the following ways -

  • Unilaterally terminate any and all working relationships with a given supply chain element (including a client), regardless of the wishes or interests of our client
  • Report ongoing problems to Certisource client and request client decision on continuing relationship with the supply chain element
  • Continue to work with concession/sawmill to address issues and improve performance within an agreed and stated time period

Regardless of which option is taken, Certisource will rigorously maintain its policy not to undertake verification services on any element of the supply chain whose actions have prevented us from being able to issue certificates on four consecutive batches.