In an exciting milestone earlier in September, Hainan Rubber Industry Co., Ltd ("Hainan Rubber") received China's inaugural FSC NTFPs FM/CoC certificate. This achievement opens the door to FSC-certified latex production, potentially adding 75,000 tons annually to the market.

The latest FM extension audit also expanded the certificate to cover 12 subcompanies, overseeing over 102,000 hectares of rubber plantations. Hainan Rubber's certified rubber wood now supplies international furniture companies like IKEA.

Hainan Rubber first obtained FM certification for rubber wood in May 2021 and adapted swiftly to include NTFPs after the revised China Forest Stewardship Standards in 2022. With over 266,000 ha of rubber plantations, they're poised for growth.

This historic achievement may inspire other Chinese FM certificate holders to embrace NTFPs in their certification scope, signalling a promising horizon for responsible forest management in the Asia-Pacific.

Read the news in Simplified Chinese here.