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During the last two decades, the ecological, cultural and social values of forests have received stronger priority by society. To address the changes in values in a forest products context, major wood and non-wood retailers are being asked to develop a wood procurement policy which defines the sources from which a company or organization will or will not obtain the wood or wood products it requires. Many interest groups are actively advising companies and organizations that are currently developing wood procurement policies, and continue to urge other retailers to commit to developing such policies. However, there is a welter of inconsistent and confusing wood procurement policy terminology that has been created, and is unlikely to successfully advance the cause of sustainable forest management in the medium and long term, at least in North America. In many cases, the broader objectives of the policies are …