Rougier, major player in the business of certified African tropical timber, has obtained FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certification for three forest concessions located in the Mbang forest area in South East Cameroon and managed by the Rougier subsidiary SFID (Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé).
Rougier, major player in the business of certified African tropical timber, has obtained FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certification for three forest concessions located in the Mbang forest area in South East Cameroon and managed by the Rougier subsidiary SFID (Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé).
During the past years, SFID has been strongly involved in forest certification and the FSC® certification of responsible forest management [FSC-C014550] delivered by the Rainforest Alliance is a natural consequence of this commitment. The certification was obtained for FMUs 10 038, 10 056 and 10 054, representing a total of 285 667 hectares of forest.
The continuous commitment of Rougier Cameroon in matters of good forest management is demonstrated by this achievement. This certification opens up new prospects for Rougier, henceforth in a position to propose a full range of FSC certified products with a FSC 100% declaration:
– Logs and sawn timber from all of Cameroon’s traditional tree species,
– But also a great variety of machined products (glued laminated finger-joints, decking, joists with CE marking, round sticks, finger-jointed solid blocks carrying KOMO certification) from various species, notably: ayous, sapele, tali, frake, okan, etc.
Internationally acknowledged as one of the world’s leading forest certification schemes, FSC is recognized as the top level of commitment by leading environmental NGOs operating within the tropical timber industry. At a time where the European Union’s regulation of international trade in timber (FLEGT) comes into force, FSC certification goes beyond legality requirements providing customers with the guarantee that all marketed timber come from responsibly managed forest concessions in compliance with strict social and environmental criteria.
The FSC® approach fits into Rougier’s global strategy in matters of responsible forest management directed towards the reinforcement of the Group’s commitment to product traceability, renewal of resources or local development.
As a forerunner in matters of certification in the Congo Basin, Rougier is in a position to guarantee its customers that 100% of the forests managed by the group benefit from legality and traceability certified by third-party independent bodies.
Thanks to this certification process, Rougier is in a good position to meet the increasing demand from international markets for environmental and social guarantees.
Rougier CEO, Francis Rougier: “Many years ago, Rougier entered into a voluntary process of certification in which the Group invested heavily in order to enhance its productions on the international market. Through our efforts in matters of certification, we wish to consolidate our positions on the developing markets for certified products. This approach allows us to set us apart from the competition and contributes to strengthening the Rougier image”.
About Rougier
Created in 1923, the Rougier group is a leading producer of certified African tropical timber. The group has three core activities: Rougier Afrique International (harvesting of natural forests, industrial processing and international trade), Lignafrica (study, management and investment in industrial forest plantations in Africa), Rougier Sylvaco and Rougier Panneaux (import to France and distribution of various timber products of any origin).