The concept of FSC group certification was developed to provide easy, low-cost and equitable access to certification for owners of small forest holdings.
The group certification process does not certify each forest holding individually, but establishes a group of certifiable forest operations. Members of such a group share certification logistics and costs.
Less costly and less work
For forest owners participating in such a group scheme, certification is far less costly and less work intensive than individual certification.
Any voluntary group of forest owners, a forest owners' association, a forestry organisation or a forest management co-operative can serve as a suitable structure for group certification.
Existing certification groups also use the group successfully for joint marketing of their FSC certified forest products.
