Oliva Cigar Company announced that its cigar boxes are now produced entirely with Forest Stewardship Council\u00ae (FSC\u00ae) certified wood, making Oliva Cigar Co. the first cigar company to achieve FSC chain of custody certification. The milestone underscores Oliva\u2019s long-term commitment to sustainability, environmental responsibility, and social accountability across its operations. \u201cThis certification is not only about materials \u2014 it\u2019s about a philosophy,\u201d said Cory Bappert, CEO of Oliva Cigar Co. \u201cIt ensures that all of the wood used in our boxes comes from responsible sources that support reforestation, biodiversity, workplace safety, and fair labor standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FSC Chain of Custody certification confirms that every stage of Oliva\u2019s box production, from sourcing to finishing, follows rigorous sustainability protocols. The achievement caps a four-year company-wide project that involved developing new manuals, training employees across all departments, and expanding staffing to ensure standards were met consistently.<\/p>\n
Beyond certification: Daily responsibility A Broader Approach to Sustainability<\/span><\/p>\n The FSC initiative is only one part of Oliva\u2019s broader sustainability strategy: \u201cSustainability is not a campaign \u2014 it\u2019s a way of thinking,\u201d said Fred Vandermarliere, owner of Vandermarliere Cigar Family (VCF). \u201cAt Oliva, we understand that the only way to build a lasting legacy is to grow responsibly, give back to the land, and create cigars with integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about\u00a0Oliva\u2019s ongoing commitment to sustainability in CJ 3\/25 page 134 to 137.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tabacalera Oliva, S.A. earns FSC\u00ae Certification, underscoring commitment to sustainability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":73844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[177,49,2808,44],"tags":[9927,9926],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73843"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73843"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73847,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73843\/revisions\/73847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/span>While certification marks a major step forward, Oliva Cigar Co. emphasizes that sustainability is an ongoing daily commitment. Each shipment of certified material must be verified, ensuring that no uncertified wood enters the production process. \u201cThe certification assessed our ability,\u201d Bernie Rodriguez, Director of Logistics and Product Regulations, explained. \u201cNow we are judged every day on how well we live up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Reforestation: For more than five years, Oliva Cigar Co. has operated a nursery outside of Condega, Nicaragua, growing trees and plants for reforestation projects on its farms and donating thousands of seedlings each year to schools and national programs.
\n\u2022 Seed Innovation: At Hacienda de Ernesto, Oliva Cigar Co. develops its own seed varieties to improve resistance and reduce pesticide use, protecting both the environment and the final product.
\n\u2022 Soil Management: The company has adopted advanced Cuban soil-cutting techniques to reduce disruption of natural biodiversity.
\n\u2022 Circular Farming: Tobacco stems, dust, and other waste are composted and reused in Oliva\u2019s own fields, closing the loop between factory and farm.<\/p>\n