Achieving this certification demonstrates the continued commitment of Rougier teams in Cameroon towards well-managed forests. It also opens new marketing perspectives for the Rougier group, which will now be able to offer a full range of FSC certified products and guarantee to its customers that the legality and traceability of 100 percent of the African timber it produces has been certified by independent third parties.
SFID worked towards obtaining Forest Management certification for several years. The three forest management units that have gained certification cover 285,667 hectares. They include well-known commercial timber species Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon) and Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum), but also less common species including Tali (Erythrophleum suaveolens), Frake (Terminalia superba) and Okan (Cylicodiscus gabunensis).
FSC certification guarantees that timber sold on the market comes from concessions that have been responsibly managed according to FSC’s strict social and environmental criteria. These criteria go beyond the requirements of the new European Union Timber Regulation which came into force in March 2013. The FSC approach resonates with Rougier’s own strategy for responsible forest management, which proclaims the Rougier Group’s commitment to traceability, resource renewal and local development.
Francis Rougier, CEO of Rougier, declares that "Rougier has long been committed to voluntary certification processes in which the Group invests significantly in order to enhance its production in different international markets. Through our efforts in favor of certification, we want to consolidate our position in the growing market for certified products. This approach allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition and helps us to enhance the image of Rougier".
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For the original article on the FSC France website, please click here.