This manual has been developed by WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) for use by organizations wishing to extend a program of responsible purchasing to further address difficulties arising from possible trade in “illegal” forest products.The manual has been developed to add detail to legalityissues encountered by companies adopting a responsible purchasing program.
WWF has produced this manual with the intention that it should become the first point of reference for all parts of the timber supply chain seeking to establish what represents current best practice with respect to buying, processing, and selling legal timber and timber products. It consolidates the efforts of many different parties, including those companies at the forefront of efforts to avoid use of illegally harvested timber.
The manual is aimed at any medium-size or large enterprise that purchases forest products, including processors, importers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. It may also be useful to smaller enterprises.
The manual outlines the various ways in which purchasing organizations can demonstrate compliance with best practice and ultimately their own purchasing policies. It combines tried and tested mechanisms and new approaches and definitions, based upon on GFTN’s exetensive experience in the development of responsible purchasing programs. These approaches are designed to make the process of “keeping it legal” easier.