PEFC Requirements and Criteria

The definition of sustainable forest management (SFM) initially developed by Forest Europe in 1993 and subsequently adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, is also used by PEFC to define the sustainable forest management. Sustainable forest management has been defined as:

“The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems.”

The principles, criteria and guidelines derived from the international processes of sustainable forest management, were complimented with some further requirements. These were made operational to measure the performance of the forest.

These requirements are part of the PEFC Sustainability Benchmark, a set of over 300 criteria that form the basis against which national certification systems are assessed during PEFC endorsement.

A PEFC Sustainable Forest Management certification would prove that the forest meets the best sustainable forest management practices and also includes:

• Biodiversity
• Ecosystem services
• Natural alternatives
• Workers’ rights
• Local employment
• Indigenous peoples’ rights
• Legal framework

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