Mar 29, 2014. /Lesprom Network/. Over 40% of wood-based products on the Belgian market are from sustainably managed forests, according to a 2012 market study by Dutch foundation Probos. In 2011, a multi-sector agreement was signed by several federal organizations to increase the market share of certified wood products to at least 35% by the end of 2018. However, just one year later the market share of wood-based products originating from sustainably managed forests had already reached 40.5%, as PEFC said in the press release received by Lesprom Network.

“We are delighted to see such an increase in the availability of certified wood-based products on the Belgian market – from a 15% share in 2008 to over 40% in 2012, six years ahead of schedule,” said Thomas Davreux, General Secretary of PEFC Belgium, which also provided support during the market study.

To qualify as coming from a sustainably managed forest, wood-based products must be accompanied by a Chain of Custody certificate accepted by the Belgian federal authorities, such as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

PEFC Chain of Custody tracks certified material from the forests, all the way through the supply chain, until the final product, providing the consumer with the assurance that their product originated in a forest that has been managed according to PEFC’s exacting Sustainability Benchmarks.

The goal of the 2011 agreement was not only to increase the share of certified wood products on the Belgian market but also to increase the awareness of the general public to the importance of sustainable forest management. Despite meeting their goal several years early, the timber federations plan to continue their work to further increase the share of these products on the market.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management through independent third-party certification.