The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. By working throughout the entire forest supply chain, PEFC promotes good practice in the forest and ensures that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to the PEFC label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests. As an umbrella organization, PEFC endorses national forest certification systems developed through multi-stakeholder processes and tailored to local priorities and conditions. PEFC was founded by small- and family forest owners to demonstrate excellence in sustainable forest management. With 49 endorsed national certification systems and more than 330 million hectares of certified forests, PEFC is the world's largest forest certification system.