PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1999 which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third- party certification. PEFC is a global umbrella organization for the assessment of, and mutual recognition, of national forest certification schemes developed in a multi-stakeholder process. PEFC has in its membership 35 independent national forest certification systems of which 25 to date have been through a rigorous assessment process involving public consultation and the use of independent assessors. These 25 systems account for more than 200 million hectares of certified forests producing millions of tons of certified timber to the marketplace, making PEFC the world’s largest certification system.