What We Do

How TFT works

TFT helps Member businesses - retailers and suppliers of wood products - to find out where their wood comes from, and to link them with acceptable forest sources.

As a minimum first step, their wood must come from legally verified forest operations. TFT Members are also committed to increasing the volume of wood that they source from well managed forests, and TFT assists by improving the sustainability of management practices in the forests that produce their wood.

TFT is also initiating work with client companies active in non-timber business sector, to help them bring Forest Responsible Products to market.

A Forest Story takes a look at sustainable forestry

Our staff work in partnership with local forest managers to ensure that environmental values are protected and enhanced, that indigenous and other local communities share in the benefits, and that the forest management units can demonstrate their long-term economic viability.

This is often a challenging task in countries where forest ecosystems and community relations are equally complex, and where forest law enforcement can be uneven.

TFT staff also link the forests to our Member's supplying factories through robust 'Wood Control Systems' that prevent any unknown/potentially illegal wood from being introduced at any point in the supply chain or during manufacturing.

With the right people on the ground and our Members' practical commitment, the task is challenging but achievable. TFT Members are excluding ‘unknown source' wood from their supply chains and replacing it with FSC certified wood, wood from a TFT-supported forest,  or at a minimum, from a known forest source. As a result, a growing area of threatened forest is coming under better management.

TFT Worldwide shows the location of TFT projects

In addition to this core programme, TFT is involved with a number of other programmes that promote legality and sustainability in the timber trade.

TFT markets FSC certified Bolivian timber in Europe through the Bolfor II project, manages the EU Timber Trade Action Plan, and - in cooperation with Helveta Ltd. - has developed TracElite timber tracking technology.

To learn more about TFT activities and achievements see Words Into Action.

More about TFT

Words into Action

Good Wood Good Business

A practical industry-orientated guide to excluding illegal and other unwanted wood from supply chains

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