It’s one of the easiest things you can do to help save the world’s forests. Look for the logo that says FSC® when you buy paper towels, tissues, furniture, or any other products made with materials from forests.
What does FSC mean?
FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council®, a certification system co-founded by WWF more than 25 years ago. What it really means is that the product you buy comes from a forest that is responsibly managed. Trees in these forests are grown and harvested according to a robust set of guidelines that, ultimately, benefit the environment and economy.
Some of these guidelines include limiting the number of trees cut down, restricting highly hazardous pesticides, and protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples as well as wildlife habitats.
Why it matters
Forests are essential to our survival. They filter the air we breathe and the water we drink, and so much more. Forests harbor most of Earth’s diversity of life on land, providing habitats for about 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, and 68% of mammal species. And nearly three-quarters of the world’s population uses nontimber forest products, such as food, fuel, and medicine.
In 2023, the world lost 9.1 million acres (3.7 million hectares) of tropical rain forests—equivalent to a rate of nearly 10 soccer fields a minute. Every action we take to protect the world’s forests makes a difference.
