In the context of the forest products industry, responsible wood sourcing (purchasing) refers to a buyer’s adoption of policies and practices that reward suppliers using wood and fiber from well-managed forests or from recycled products and discourage suppliers using wood from unknown, illegal or otherwise controversial sources.
The business case for responsible purchasing begins with the need to sustain raw material supplies and extends to satisfying the ethical concerns of consumers, shareholders and employees. Responsible purchasing is the means by which a company can distance itself from the problems of illegal logging and forest destruction, while helping to create a forest products industry that helps conserve valuable forests, respects the interests of local communities and workers and does not run down its resource base.