Sustainable forest management is based on environmentally, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of forests for present and future generations. Sustainable Managed Forests are a solution to address the global problem of illegal logging. Timber and paper companies around the world buy wood from certified and uncertified forests.

In the case of Sustainable Cards LLC, the All-Wood Card is composed entirely of wood harvested from PEFC certified forests. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification methods) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1999 which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests.

PEFC is a global umbrella organization for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification methods developed in a multi-stakeholder process. These national methods build upon the inter-governmental processes for the promotion of sustainable forest management, a series of on-going mechanisms supported by 149 governments in the world covering 85% of the world's forest area.

PEFC's aim is to assure that the world's forests are managed sustainably and that their functions are protected for present and future generations.

PEFC certified timber and paper products are an independently verified assurance to consumers and companies that they are buying wood products from sustainably managed forests. By choosing PEFC, buyers can help combat illegal logging.

PEFC's role, as an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, is to secure that the same high standards are applied by all its endorsed certification systems globally and thus by forest managers, paper and timber companies and their external certifiers.

PEFC protects the rights of indigenous people

PEFC uses the criteria of the intergovernmental processes which grew out of the UN 'Earth Summit' in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe or the African Timber Organization (ATO) and International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Criteria & Indicator for sustainable management of African natural tropical forests. The criteria address people's land tenure, customary and traditional rights; protect historical, archaeological, cultural or spiritually significant sites; make use of indigenous related experience or knowledge and involve indigenous people and their communities in the consultation, decision making and implementation processes of PEFC.

At national level indigenous people can participate when PEFC certification systems are being developed or updated in consensus with other groups of society.

Last but not least, PEFC requires consultation with the public during the certification audits of individual forests, ensuring that indigenous and other forest dependent people's views are considered for the forests they live in, live near to or are dependent upon.

For more information on PEFC, please visit http://www.pefc.org/internet/html/index.htm