The FSC certification in Italy continues to play a fundamental role in supporting corporate and public policies, ensuring a real ecological transition: the new data published in the Report 2025 confirm this.

Two of the most significant figures: in 2025 there are 155,750.59 hectares certified according to the Forest Management standard distributed across 10 regions and as many as 3,902 the number of active FSC Chain of Custody certificates.

Responsible Forest Management in Italy: certified forest areas increase

The Report therefore shows that in 2025 Responsible Forest Management in Italy records a 35% increase compared to 2024 and the number of active forest management certificates also rises, from 32 to 37 (+12%). By territory, the region with the largest number of certified hectares is Tuscany (34.6%), followed by Lombardy (17.4%) and the Autonomous Province of Trento. From the ownership perspective, about 40% of certified areas are privately owned, while 60% are publicly owned.

Ecosystem Services or Benefits, such as biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, soil protection, water regulation, air quality and well-being and activity in the forest, remain among the strategic priorities and demonstrate the growing interest of forest managers in tools capable of credibly and measurably enhancing the environmental, social and economic benefits generated by active forest management.

Italy a leader on the European stage 

The number of active FSC Chain of Custody certificates reached 3,902 with a 4.5% increase compared to the previous year, involving overall more than 5,101 companies, numbers that consolidate Italy's position as a leader in the European landscape.

Three main sectors show significant growth and numbers: construction, wood-furniture and packaging. Packaging remains the dominant sector by number of certificates related to forest products, reaching 1,488. Wood for construction shows the most significant growth with 481 new certifications (+12.6%), while furniture records 794 (+9.4%). Among the 68 activations in 2025 in this segment, prominent names stand out such as Veneta Cucine, an iconic brand that strengthens FSC’s presence in furniture.

FSC certification in Europe and worldwide

Data updated to December 2025 outline a picture of consolidation and strategic growth for the FSC system at the global level as well. 

The global forest area certified by FSC has shown steady growth, reaching about 173.1 million hectares at the end of 2025 (compared to 159.5 million at the end of 2024). Among the regions with the largest certified forest area, leading positions are occupied by Europe (38%), followed by North America (35%) and Latin America (11%). In Europe, Sweden remains the undisputed leader with 19.1 million hectares, followed by Turkey and Poland.

The most significant figure of 2025 is certainly that related to chain-of-custody certificates: the growing need to guarantee "deforestation-free" products pushed the total number to almost 70,000 certificates (compared to 63,742 in 2024), involving a network of over 105,000 production sites worldwide. China maintains the global lead with over 26,700 certificates, followed by Italy, which confirms itself as a European and global excellence, and the United Kingdom (2,242). 

The number of promotional use licenses globally in 2025 stands at 1,620. Many major brands have decided to invest in direct-to-consumer and stakeholder promotion, using the FSC label as a pillar of their environmental reputation. 

The FSC label, a guarantee tool for forest supply chains

A recent global study conducted by Ipsos for FSC International, makes clear the recognition and trust in the FSC label:  over 52% of consumers worldwide recognize the FSC logo, especially in European markets. About 80% of consumers then state they have greater trust in a brand when it displays the FSC label on its products or in communication campaigns. These positive assessments are also reflected in promotional use licenses of the label (Promotional License Agreement, PLA), which in Italy in 2025 numbered 107.