LegalSource transition to the Preferred by Nature Certification

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, Preferred by Nature is moving our LegalSource™ certification to the Preferred by Nature Certification.

In response to the enactment of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), it has become imperative to recalibrate our LegalSource programme to harmonise with the evolving regulatory landscape. The programme is now absorbed by the Preferred by Nature Certification. Based on the Sustainability Framework and related Standards, the certification programme has been carefully tailored to align with the EUDR.

Our LegalSource programme is a service and collection of tools and resources that help operators and traders comply with the legal requirements of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). We launched this programme more than a decade ago in response to the EUTR, which aimed to prevent the trade of illegally harvested timber and timber products.

The EUTR will be repealed by the end of 2024 and replaced by the EUDR, which has a wider scope and covers other commodities associated with deforestation and forest degradation, such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber and soy.

Therefore, we will transition from LegalSource to the new Preferred by Nature Certification. To ensure alignment with the EUDR, we have included 46 regulatory indicators that provide a comprehensive definition of legality and deforestation and can help identify pathways towards sourcing and producing products that are both legal and deforestation-free.

Within the Preferred by Nature Certification programme, we also offer supplementary tools, such as the Sourcing Hub and a Due Diligence toolkit encompassing supply chain mapping and risk assessment.

In light of this transition, we will be working with existing LegalSource-certified businesses to facilitate their transfer to the Preferred by Nature Certification – regulatory scope. This process will conclude by 30 December 2024, aligning with the start of the EUDR enforcement. To ensure a smooth adaptation to the EUDR, we recommend transitioning to the Preferred by Nature Certification concurrently with your 2024 LegalSource audit.

Please note that after 30 December 2024, all LegalSource Programme certificates will be deemed invalid, and the use of LegalSource-related claims will be prohibited. Our technical team will be reaching out to affected parties to streamline this transition and address any specific requirements.

For more information, visit our Preferred by Nature Certification or EUDR page.