Chemical Testing: A science-led tool for verifying timber origins
Timber is a material we all rely on – from the floors in our homes to the furniture we use every day. But behind every wooden product is a forest, and knowing exactly where that timber was harvested is essential for protecting nature, supporting communities, and ensuring legal, sustainable trade.
As part of our commitment to supporting members with practical tools for responsible sourcing, Timber Development UK (TDUK) is working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and World Forest ID to promote one of the most powerful tools available for verifying the geographic origin of timber: chemical testing.
For the timber industry, this matters because chemical testing can strengthen due diligence, support enforcement, and build trust in sustainable supply chains.
By analysing the chemical “fingerprints” locked within the wood, World Forest ID’s scientists can verify whether the claimed harvest location of a product is genuine. This goes beyond paper-based evidence, making it much harder for illegally harvested or mis-declared timber to enter supply chains.
How it works
Trees and plants have unique chemical signatures which are created by their environment, influenced by factors like soil, rainfall, and climate. Techniques such as Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) and MultiElement Analysis (MEA) measure these signatures.
The results are compared against World Forest ID’s extensive global reference database built from geo-referenced samples. If they match, the origin claim can be confirmed; if not, it may suggest the timber came from elsewhere.
This builds on years of work by World Forest ID to develop a unique approach which combines MEA and SIRA. Their extensive global collection of geo-referenced samples forms the foundation for origin testing worldwide, representing the most comprehensive timber reference database to date.
Putting it into practice
This project is funded by Fondation Lombard Odier and the European Union through the ECO-SOLVE programme. ZSL and partners are collecting timber samples of three important and vulnerable African timber species: Milicia excelsa (Iroko), Afzelia bipindensis (Doussié), and Tectona grandis (Teak). These will feed into the reference library and origin models being developed by World Forest ID, strengthening the ability to verify the legal and sustainable origin of timber.
The work is focused on Cameroon, a key country in the Congo Basin – the world’s second largest tropical rainforest. Forestry is a major part of Cameroon’s economy, but the pressure on its natural resources is growing, making sustainable management, transparency, and legal verification more important than ever. You can read more about this work in ZSL’s feature on responsible sourcing in Africa.
Already in use by enforcement agencies and responsible businesses worldwide, chemical testing is fast becoming a commercially viable standard for origin verification.
Why chemical testing matters for the timber industry
- Strengthening due diligence: chemical testing provides scientific proof to support legality and sustainability claims
- Supporting enforcement: it helps detect false declarations and prevent unsustainable harvesting
- Building trust: it gives buyers confidence in the origin of their timber products
This is just the start. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more about the project – from fieldwork in Cameroon to real-world case studies – showing how chemical testing can help create more transparent and sustainable supply chains.
If you’re interested in exploring how chemical testing can support your sourcing and due diligence, contact our sustainability team at TDUK.
