The SmartWood Network can help connect certified producers, manufacturers and retailers, enabling them to realize the full market potential of their certified products. Certified products are highly attractive to a growing number of consumers concerned with the environmental consequences of their purchases. Certified companies protect the environment and timber resources by implementing sustainable forest management. These practices ensure the long-term survival of the forests and provide stable benefits to communities living in them. Forestry assessment teams provide expert advice on effective management techniques, whether or not the assessment results in a certification.
Certification demonstrates to the public that a company or landowner is an environmental leader.
Many different sectors of the wood products industry participate in SmartWood certification. Here are a few examples of who might be interested in the program. A landowner who wants to be distinguished for his forest management and wants to separate his wood from others in order to increase market share. A mill owner interested in new markets that want to satisfy the unmet demand for certified wood. A retailer dealing in recycled or salvaged timber who needs to document wood sources for customers.