Posted on April, 26 2007

Zurich, Switzerland - Wood products bearing the FSC label are selling better and better in Switzerland, a new analysis of FSC sales data shows.

Sales of products bearing the FSC label increased sharply in 2006 and reached a new record compared to previous years. The 18 partner companies in the WWF Wood Group Switzerland – the Swiss affiliate of the GFTN - attained sales of CHF 179 million in 2006, almost doubling the amount of the year before.

In 2005 the GFTN partner companies achieved about CHF 98 million, and about CHF 93 million in 2004 (see chart FSC sales 1998-2006).

“WWF’s strategy to cooperate with businesses is paying off,” says Simone Stammbach of WWF Switzerland. “Our common support to FSC has now widely been accepted by the consumer. Today, more and more consumers want to be sure to buy timber products that come from controlled and legal wood sources and are not harvested through destructive logging practices.“

One reason for the boost in FSC-certified product sales is Swiss retailer Coop joining the WWF Wood Group in 2006. “With Coop we have gained a major partner committing to FSC’s sustainable forest management practices,” says Simone Stammbach. “But most of the other partners in the do-it-yourself and furniture sector also registered a significant growth in their sales of FSC-certified products.”

“Furthermore, we explain the positive sales’ results of FSC-certified products by Migros’ switch from non-certified hygienic paper (toilet and household paper) to FSC-certified paper.” The large Swiss retailer Migros is a founding member of the WWF Wood Group.

Fore more information:
Simone Stammbach
WWF WOOD GROUP, WWF Switzerland
tel: +41 79 407 35 67
email: simone.stammbach@wwf.ch