FSC certifies MLR Forestal’s chain of custody of its teak products

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is giving a new endorsement to MLR Forestal. In this case, it has awarded the Chain of Custody Certificate or CoC. With this certificate, FSC verifies that forest-based materials are produced in accordance with its standards; throughout the product’s journey from the teak plantations to the finished products.

During the chain-of-custody audit, FSC reviewed the production process of the teak industry. This process covers from the moment the raw material (roundwood) arrives at the collection yard until it is transformed into by-products. These by-products are blocks, sized wooden boards, biomass (sawdust) and pallets for packaging.

During the tour carried out by the auditors, they verified that the employees complied with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). They also verified data on volumes, entry of raw material into the process and also the exit records of forest products were reviewed.

Cynthia Córdoba Solórzano, head of Environment and Certifications at MLR Forestal said that the importance of this certificate is that “it endorses us as a company that carries out its production in a clean, orderly and optimized way in all stages of the process, taking into account the health and safety of its workers, in addition to presenting precise traceability and that, from there, the trade of these products extends to international markets.”

FSC also audited the forest management of teak plantations

FSC also conducted an external audit on the forest management of the plantations. During this activity, the Waylawás, Labú, Bethel and Mutiwás farms were visited.

The result of the audit was “zero Non-Conformities” and no observations. However, Córdoba said that “the processes of constant review must continue to improve any weaknesses that might be identified during daily work”.

The head of Environment and Certifications pointed out the importance of having the FSC Certificate, which MLR has since 2013.

“This is an important because it determines the correct management of the established plantations, as well as compliance with legal requirements, internal procedures, principles and applicable criteria.”

This audit was only follow up as the FSC certificate is valid for five years from March 2023 to March 2028.