Members Information

This section provides information on all aspects of TFT Membership.

Who can become a Member?

What are the Membership benefits?

What are the Members' obligations?

How do we join?

Who can become a Member?

TFT has three membership categories:

Buying Members are retailers, selling wood products to end consumers

Supplying Members trade wood products at any point in the supply chain between the forest and the retailer

Supporting Members are businesses that are not directly involved in trade in wood products, but that support sustainable forestry through this form of membership.

What are the Membership benefits?

Businesses join TFT to source wood which has been verified to come from well-managed forests. This is an integral part of TFT Member's strategies; to secure their wood raw material supplies, their corporate brands and their market share.

Key benefits for Buying and Supplying Members are:

Supply Chain Support

• Initial assessment of supplying factories for their ability to operate Wood Control Systems
• Linkage of supplying factories to FSC certified and TFT project forests producing the right timber in the right quantities
• Introduction to all other relevant TFT Members
• Support from a dedicated TFT Client Manager to ensure maximum membership value
• Design and monitoring of Wood Control Systems at supplying factories
• TFT WCS monitoring factory visits - from the log purchase to final assembly and packaging - with timely reports to enable the Member to address any wood sourcing issue quickly.

• Use of TFT trademark: Buying Members can use the TFT logo on products, and Supplying Members selling to non-TFT retailers can use an approved TFT truth statement on products. See Approved TFT Trademark Use for details.
• Company listed on the TFT web site.
• Support on all relevant communications issues, including with forest campaign groups
• Association with the highly respected TFT brand.

Supporting Members are listed on the web site. They can use the TFT logo on promotional material and other external and internal communications.

Should a Supporting Member procure a minimal amount of hardwood product, TFT will assist to ensure that the forest source is appropriate for a TFT Member.

What are the Members' obligations?

In order to be a Supplying or Buying Member, a business must:

• Demonstrate commitment to TFT's Mission and Objectives
• Inform TFT about its wood products, and relevant supply chains
• Facilitate TFT access to its supplying factories to design and monitor Wood Control Systems
• Make an investment in the TFT programme that is appropriate to the scale of its wood requirements and that is sufficient to support a credible program to meet them
• Commit to an agreed payment schedule which includes an initial advance on becoming a TFT member
• Commit to excluding all potentially illegal timber from its supply chains within a specific and credible period
• Nominate a Liaison Officer as the contact point between TFT and the member
• Implement all TFT Board approved procedures
• Report annually to TFT on progress towards TFT's Mission and Objectives

Supporting Members must:

• Demonstrate commitment to TFT's Mission and Objectives
• Make an investment in TFT's programme that is appropriate to the scale of its wood requirements and that is sufficient to support a credible program to meet them
• Commit to an agreed payment schedule which includes an initial advance on becoming a TFT member
• Nominate a Liaison Officer as the contact point between TFT and the member
• Implement all TFT Board approved procedures

How do we join?

If, after reading this information, you are interested in TFT Membership, the next step is to contact the Client Services team (membersupport@tft-forests.org / tel. +44 (0)2380 111220) to arrange a meeting to discuss membership.

Following that meeting, if you are ready to sign a membership application form, your application will be processed, usually in two to three weeks.

More information

 TFT Members' Handbook 2009 [PDF]     [PDF en français] [PDF in Portuguese]
Outlining essential information on TFT Membership

Summary Membership Information sheet [PDF]
Two page sheet on TFT and the benefits of membership

Approved TFT Trademark use [PDF]
Conditions and procedures for use of the TFT trademark

TFT Members' Guidance Note 1
Clarifying the use and meaning of FSC Chain of Custody Certificates

TFT Members' Guidance Note 2
Discusses various sources of reclaimed or recycled wood.

TFT Members' Guidance Note 3
A brief explanation of mango wood sourcing, with primary data collected by the field team in Indonesia.

TFT Members' Guidance Note 4
This outlines the new amendments to the US Lacey Act. It gives guidance for Importers, exporters & retailers of timber who must apply Due Care to avoid penalties. Updated!

TFT Members' Guidance Note 5
A summary of the proposed EU regulation to prevent the trade of illegal logs. Updated!

TFT Introductory Presentation Aug 08  [PDF]

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