NEPCon and Imaflora partner to provide LegalSource™ certification in Brazil
A new partnership agreement between NEPCon and Imaflora will expand LegalSource certification offerings to Brazil, with Imaflora conducting LegalSource assessments in the country.
LegalSource certification is a third-party auditing service for companies who want to demonstrate and communicate that they exercise due diligence to reduce risks of producing, sourcing and trading illegal timber products. Companies can obtain LegalSource certification based on regular evaluations against NEPCon’s LegalSource Standard.
Launched in 2013, the LegalSource Standard sets out requirements covering supply chain management, risk assessment, risk mitigation and quality systems for production or sourcing of forest products, amongst others. The Standard has been developed in line with regulations that are in place in some of the world’s leading timber markets such the EU Timber Regulation, the US Lacey Act and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Act.
LegalSource certification allows certified companies in timber producing countries like Brazil to market their products under the certificate scope, with business-to-business sales claims. This off-product claim helps to assure their buyers in regulated markets of the low risk status of the timber products they are purchasing.
Additionally, LegalSource certification can be used as a first stepping stone to help Brazilian companies prepare themselves towards certification, such as FSCTM or FSC Controlled Wood, that covers other social and environmental aspects.
David Hadley, Deputy Director of NEPCon ResponsibleSource, comments that “NEPCon and Imaflora’s partnership will enable forest sector companies in Brazil to have the same opportunities to seek LegalSource certification, as elsewhere in the world. We are excited to ensure Brazilian operators have access to this important market tool to assist them in meeting the requirements of strict timber regulations”.
Marcos Planello, Imaflora's Certification Coordinator, complements that “The legal production of wood in the Amazon is fundamental for the maintenance of the tropical forest. We offer LegalSource as a way to improve the level of legality and governance in the timber chain so that Brazilian companies can meet the compliance standards of the main international markets. Boycotting Brazilian wood is condemning part of the Amazon to become pasture and agriculture. Encouraging improvements in this value chain is a more sustainable strategy”.
NEPCon service and project activities span over 90 countries. The organisation is working with companies and organisational of all sizes, from smallholders to large international corporations with global supply chains. The collaboration with Imaflora will cement NEPCon’s ability to provide the best expertise and support possible to companies that want to source wood products from Brazil.
For further information:
- Forest-management companies, forest-products manufacturers, exporters or traders based in Brazil: Please see this webpage or contact Imaflora directly: coc@imaflora.org - 19 3429 0849
- Companies sourcing wood-products from Brazil: Please contact David Hadley: dhg@nepcon.org
Notes to the Editor
About Imaflora
Imaflora (Institute for Forest and Agriculture Management and Certification) is a Brazilian non-profit organisation that has been working for 24 years to promote changes in the forest and agricultural sectors.
The Institute believes it is possible to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources and also to generate social benefits. To reach this objective, Imaflora working with solutions based on ample processes of consultation and negotiation carried out in a balanced and representative way with the different stakeholders involved in land use and in forest, agricultural and livestock production.
We do this through innovation projects and high level team. Learn more at www.imaflora.org
About NEPCon
NEPCon (Nature Economy and People Connected) is an international non-profit organisation that works to build capacity and commitment for mainstreaming sustainability.
For nearly 25 years, we have worked to foster sustainable land use and responsible trade in forest commodities. We do this through innovation projects, capacity building, and sustainability services. We are accredited certifiers for sustainability schemes such as FSC (FSCTM A000535), PEFC, RSPO, RA SAS and SBP. We also certify to our own LegalSource, Sustainable Tourism and Carbon Footprint Management standards.
NEPCon is recognised by the EU as a Monitoring Organisation under the EU Timber Regulation. Learn more at www.nepcon.org
