Western Canadian Consumer Attitudes Towards Certified Value-Added Wood Products: An Exploratory Assessment‪.‬

Abstract Value-added wood products consist of a broad spectrum of industrial, structural, and consumer goods ranging from differentiated commodity products like remanufactured lumber to higher value appearance products like furniture, flooring, and millwork. To date, little research has been conducted on forest certification issues as they pertain to the value-added wood products sector. To address some of these gaps in knowledge, four consumer focus group sessions were held in western Canada in late 2002 and early 2003. The major purpose of the research was to qualitatively gauge the market awareness and potential market acceptance of certification for commonly used value-added wood products. The most significant findings were: 1) most participants had little knowledge of environmental labeling of wood products; 2) all participants indicated they would be willing to purchase certified value-added wood products in the future; and 3) most participants were willing to pay a small premium for these products, assuming equivalent quality and design.