The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that is devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. The FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way. Landowners and companies that sell timber or forest products seek certification as a way to verify to consumers that they have practiced forestry consistent with FSC standards.

Independent certification organizations, accredited by the FSC, carry out assessments to determine if standards have been met. These certifiers also verify that companies, claiming to sell FSC certified products, tracked their supply back to FSC certified sources; certification assures that consumers can trust the FSC label. The certifiers evaluate both forest management activities and chain-of-custody tracking.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a fully independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. They work with conservation groups, local communities, resource professionals, landowners, and countless other organizations and individuals who share their passion for responsible forest management.

The SFI forest certification standard is based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, bio-diversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with an exceptional conservation value. The standard is used widely across North America and has a strong acceptance in the global marketplace; this is especially important because of the growing demand for green building at a time when only 10% of the world's forests are certified.

SFI requires third-party audits to attain and maintain certification of the internationally recognized and trusted standard of practice. The certifiers evaluate three standards: Forest management, chain-of-custody, and fiber sourcing. Any company that processes or trades SFI-certified forest products are eligible to seek SFI chain-of-custody certification. The company must have processes in place to track the source of its raw materials.