Both the lecture and the article are about the ecocertification of wood companies in America. While the article mainly argues that American companies will not be pursuing this kind of certification, the lecture shows points that argue otherwise.

First of all, the reading passage states that the ecocertification is not a priority for American companies because they assume that consumers do not pay attention to this kind of advertising. Many companies self-declare their products as improved, for example, so, in the case of wood, claiming to be eco-friendly would have the same effect on costumers. The professor says differently in the lecture. He argues that these types of advertising are not the same, since the ecocertification comes from a trusted international agency. Americans usually trust agencies, according to him, so they will likely pay attention to a recognition of the sort.

Secondly, the article claims that an ecocertification would make wood more expensive for companies, and that the additional cost would be passed on to consumers. And, since companies prefer maintaining low prices, they will likely choose not to pursue an ecocertification. The professor, on the other hand, argues that price is not the only decisive factor to consumers. When the difference between two products is below 5%, many other factors influence the final decision, not only price.

Lastly, the article says that it does not make sense for American companies to look for this certification, since they mostly sell to the domestic market. The professor does not agree with this argument, stating that, if American companies do not start to look for ecocertification, foreign companies will take advantage of this lack of supply. Especially now, considering the increase in awareness of environmental issues, an ecocertification can be a great differential in the market.

With the prior arguments, it is possible to conclude that the reading passage argues that ecocertification will not be usual in the United States, while the lecturer sustains his claim that it should be a concern for national companies.