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International Paper sources the majority of its wood from the U.S. South where an estimated 1.8 million families privately own most of the forestland. Most private landowners’ land is not certified because of the general view that the benefit is not worth the cost and effort. Because of this, IP needed to change our procurement strategy and due diligence to demonstrate alignment with forest certification standards while meeting the expectations of our customers and assuring consumers that active forest management is sustainable.
With this in mind, we created ForSite™ an innovative, first-of-its-kind forest mapping platform that is improving the way IP responsibly sources wood fiber from forests.
ForSite™ is a forest conservation mapping and due-diligence tool that guides our responsible fiber procurement on non-certified forestland in the United States. This system ensures our procurement activities maintain or enhance the environmental values of the forests from which we source.
The implementation of ForSite™ has changed IP’s procurement strategy. We now screen every non-certified tract prior to purchase to determine whether additional due diligence is required before we accept timber from that tract.
Not only does this ensure safe practices for the trees, but by using ForSite™, our fiber buyers are able to make informed decisions based on a variety of factors including rare plant and animal species, priority forest types, soil types, and various water resources. This is how we are safeguarding forests, watersheds and biodiversity.
ForSite™ builds on IP’s stewardship core value by driving more transparency in our fiber sourcing as we facilitate supplier and landowner education to advance forest stewardship in our U.S. fiber supply chain.
Click here to watch a video of ForSite™ in action!
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE:IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp, and other fiber-based products, and one of North America's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa, and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
