What is Cerified Koa and why should I chose it?

When you purchase a koa product, you are buying more than beautiful Hawaiian wood. You are making a choice about the future of Hawaiʻi’s native forests.

Koa (Acacia koa) grows naturally only in Hawaiʻi and is an important part of the islands’ environment, history, and culture. Although koa is not an endangered species, mature koa is a limited and valuable resource. That makes responsible sourcing essential. (USFS Research & Development)

Consumers should look for koa products that can be certified and traced to their Hawaiian source, with assurance that the wood came from trees that were already dead, fallen, or naturally downed—not healthy living trees.

Why does this matter? Cutting a living koa tree removes a mature part of a native forest that can take decades to replace. Responsible use of dead and fallen koa allows healthy trees to remain standing while making productive use of wood already provided by nature. (Martin & MacArthur)

Removing fallen koa can also be part of thoughtful forest management. In properly managed areas, clearing downed material and protecting the surrounding land from grazing animals can give young koa seedlings the opportunity to emerge and mature, supporting natural regeneration. (Martin & MacArthur)

At Martin & MacArthur, we never cut down live koa trees and never purchase koa harvested from live trees. Our koa comes from previously fallen, dead, or naturally downed trees in Hawaiʻi. (Martin & MacArthur)

Before buying koa, ask where it came from. Ask whether a live tree was cut. And ask for certification.

Choosing responsibly sourced koa helps ensure that Hawaiʻi’s magnificent koa forests remain standing for generations to come.