CITES, SDD, CoC, what is this?

As a continuation of our last BLOG, in which we commented on the importance of FSC and PEFC certifications, we believe it is also necessary to explain those acronyms linked in one way or another to these certifications, which are becoming more and more important in this exciting sector.

We will focus on the Chain of Custody as a previous step to obtain FSC and PEFC certifications.

But do we know what these others really mean?

CITES

(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its purpose is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

SDD (Due Diligence System)

Standards or processes by which agents or importers of timber and timber products establish the necessary protocols to minimize the risk of introducing illegally obtained products into the market.

Cdc or CoC (Chain of Custody)

It is the process that allows to demonstrate the traceability of any product of forest origin (wood, cork, paper, etc. ….) during all the productive phases, from the forest to the final customer. Full product traceability is achieved and sustainability is guaranteed at all stages of the supply chain. This is the previous step to obtain FSC and PEFC certifications.

In Maderas y Chapas Blanquer one of our most demanded products with FSC certification is Teak wood (Tectona Grandis L.f.).

It is an exceptional material for a multitude of applications, but especially in outdoor environments due to its behavior, color, durability, etc… Its high resistance to water, cracking and breaking is mainly due to its natural oil, making it an ideal material for shipbuilding.

It has an antiseptic resin that makes it resistant to attack by various organisms, such as termites or fungi, as well as a high resistance to acids.

It is important to emphasize that, by the very nature of CoC, all companies involved in the production process must have their FSC or PEFC certification to be able to transmit it to the end user, if any of them were not certified, the Chain of Custody would be broken.