New Training Builds Forest Auditors for Certified Wood
Buyers of certified forest and organic products in Australia and New Zealand gain a new pipeline of trained auditors, as a 2027 program opens 15 sponsored places.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Organic Food
JASANZ, Australia and New Zealand's joint accreditation body, and Responsible Wood have launched a training program to build expertise in forest management auditing. The program runs from April to July 2027 and is aimed at people in Australia and New Zealand who want to work as forest management auditors.
Why it matters
Credible audits are what give forest certification its meaning, so building a larger pool of trained auditors supports the reliability of sustainable forestry claims. The program joins certification expertise with accreditation and conformity assessment skills, a combination meant to strengthen how forest management is verified.
This is a training program announcement rather than a study, so no research design or effect size applies. The program's scale is indicated by 15 sponsored places, and the organizers' own accreditation footprint covers more than 130 conformity assessment bodies and over 140 schemes.
The players
JASANZ
JASANZ is the joint accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand, established by treaty in 1991, which accredits conformity assessment bodies and schemes.
Responsible Wood
Responsible Wood is a provider of sustainable forest management certification, and it is sponsoring 15 places in this training program.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
PEFC is an international forest certification endorsement system that recognises this program as initial training for forest management auditors.
The details
The program pairs Responsible Wood's sustainable forest management certification expertise with JASANZ's accreditation and conformity assessment expertise. Participants learn through online modules, mentoring, and field trip opportunities. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) recognises the program as initial training for forest management auditors, and specialists from Responsible Wood, JASANZ, and PEFC will deliver the sessions.
Timeline
The program begins in April 2027.
The program ends in July 2027.
Health Landscape
Forest certification schemes such as PEFC depend on trained, accredited auditors to verify that sustainable forestry claims hold up. Training programs like this one expand the qualified workforce behind those verification systems, which matters for consumers who rely on certified organic and sustainably sourced wood and forest products.
If you buy certified forest products or organic goods, this program supports the auditing behind those labels, so checking for recognised certification marks is a practical habit. Readers who care about the origins of what they buy can look for certifications that use accredited, trained auditors.
The takeaway
Trained, accredited auditors are the quiet foundation of trustworthy sustainable-forest labels. When you shop for certified wood or organic products, look for recognised certification marks and consider how those claims are verified.
What happens next
The program begins in April 2027 and ends in July 2027.
Further reading
For background on the certification standards that underpin sustainable sourcing, explore Organic Food.
More information
Find details on the JASANZ Futures x Responsible Wood program on the JASANZ website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Timberbiz.
