Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has launched its new global brand: Forests For All Forever. With its new branding FSC plans to extend its reach by targeting consumers directly.

“The success of FSC has always depended on consumer awareness and demand for FSC-certified products, and we have relied on our partners and certificate holders to spread the message of FSC on our behalf. However, it became clear that we needed to provide our partners with tools that could inspire their customers to choose FSC - an identity that would connect with consumers and be memorable in the retail space,” said Kim Carstensen, director general of FSC.

“Forests are so much more than trees and timber – they are reservoirs for clean drinking water, protection for animals and endangered wildlife, and home to indigenous people and communities. Our principles and criteria have always reflected our determination to protect forests and their inhabitants. Now, our commitment will also be expressed in our visual identity, and provide a clearer message to consumers of what it means when they buy an FSC-certified product,” stated Carstensen.

The new branding was developed based on a marketing survey that reached 9,000 participants from 11 different countries in 2013. An online toolkit containing the new branding assets has been created to help businesses promote their FSC certification. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent non-governmental organization that promotes environmentally sound management of the world’s forests. FSC was created in 1993 to help consumers and businesses identify products from well-managed forests. Currently more than 175 million hectares and 25,000 companies are certified to FSC standards world-wide. “With markets opening up in Asia, Latin America and Africa, it was time go beyond outreach to producers and retailers,” explained Carstensen.