Want to help protect the world's forests? Look for the FSC logo when you shop

What does FSC mean?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification system. Founded more than 30 years ago through a collaboration that included environmental organizations like WWF, FSC sets rigorous voluntary standards for how forests are managed and how forest-based products are sourced.

When you see the FSC logo on wood or paper products, you can be sure that you are supporting a system that promotes the strictest environmental, social, and economic standards related to forest management. FSC-certified products can also include material from verified recycled sources.

In practical terms, FSC standards require FSC-certified forest managers to:

• Harvest trees at sustainable levels so forests can regenerate
• Protect wildlife habitat, water resources, and high-conservation-value areas
• Respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities
• Limit the use of highly hazardous chemicals
• Provide safe and fair working conditions

These requirements are independently audited, making FSC a credible, science-based assurance—not a marketing claim.

Why it matters

Forests are essential to life on Earth—and to our own well-being.

They help clean the air we breathe, filter and store the water we drink, and stabilize the climate by absorbing and storing carbon. Forests are also home to most of the diversity of life on land, providing habitat for:

• ~80% of amphibian species
• ~75% of bird species
• ~68% of mammal species

Forests also support people directly. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s population relies on forests for food, fuel, medicine, or income through nontimber forest products and forest-based livelihoods.

Yet, we continue to lose forests at an alarming rate. In fact, in 2025, the world lost 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares) of tropical primary rain forests, equivalent to a rate of 11 soccer fields every minute. This is an 80% increase over the previous year. These losses accelerate climate change, threaten biodiversity, and undermine the communities that depend on forests.

Your choice makes a difference

Choosing FSC-certified products helps:

• Keep forests standing and productive
• Support responsible forest managers and companies that source from them
• Support local communities and protect forest workers
• Reduce the risk of illegal logging and deforestation
• Send a clear market signal that people care where forest products come from

No single action can solve the global forest crisis—but millions of everyday choices can. Looking for the FSC logo is a simple, meaningful way to be part of the solution.