SFI: approving forest destruction

The market for green products has experienced exponential growth over the past decade. Industry has responded to this growing environmentally-conscious market by creating all sorts of ‘green’ products, many of which are not ‘green’ at all. Eco-labels with no credibility or standards are a cynical effort to make a buck by misleading consumers who want to do the right thing, and ForestEthics won’t stand for it. That’s why we’re campaigning to stop the biggest phony ecolabel – the SFI - in its tracks.

An eco-label by the forest industry, for the forest industry

The SFI is one of the worst self-endorsing greenwash eco-label schemes. SFI ‘certification’ is the industry endorsing its own products.  Here’s why:

• Virtually all of SFI’s funding comes from the paper and timber industry.
• SFI’s board of directors and its staff is essentially a “who’s who” from the paper and timber industry.
• SFI’s audits do not demonstrate strong scrutiny of the land or of the forest management of the paper and timber industries.

SFI approves harmful forest practices

Harmful practices allowed by the SFI and/or used by SFI approved companies include:

• Widespread cutting down of irreplaceable old growth forests and other endangered forests
• Converting natural forests into industrial tree plantations that are not ecologically healthy
• Clearcutting, road construction, and other operations harmful to water quality
• Use of genetically modified trees
• Violating the rights of workers, communities, and indigenous peoples