Forestis

What Forestis does

Forestis – Associação Florestal de Portugal is a non-profit association of public utility founded in June 1992, headquartered in Porto, and serving as Portugal's largest national forestry federation. It represents 37 member Forest Producer Organizations (OPFs) that collectively provide technical support to private and communal forest owners across all Portuguese districts. The organization's core offerings include Agricultural and Forestry Advisory Services (SAAF), PEFC forest certification support (including regional group certification for smallholders), vocational training for forestry workers and technicians, environmental education programs, and grouped management of communal forest lands (baldios).

Technically, Forestis operates GIS-based forest management information systems for cartography, cadastral mapping, and territorial planning, alongside the digital Melhor Floresta platform which serves as a knowledge repository for forest sector good practices. Its underlying technology combines traditional spatial data tools (land registry mapping, forest suitability cartography) with cross-border methodologies developed through INTERREG III A Galicia-North Portugal cooperation. Products are organized around service lines rather than software products.

The business model is non-profit and project-based. Forestis generates revenue through EU co-financed programs (PDR 2020, PRR, INTERREG, POISE, European Social Fund), national funds (Fundo Ambiental, Fundo Florestal Permanente), and government contracts (ICNF, municipalities). Income streams derive from project management fees, technical advisory services rendered under contract (SAAF), and vocational training funded under EU social funds. The organization is a federation member rather than a commercial enterprise, with no private equity, venture capital, or institutional investor ownership. Its market serves over 52,950 hectares of communal forest across 9 Agrupamentos de Baldios, 159 baldios units, and the broader Portuguese smallholder forest owner population.

Name

Forestis

Legal name

FORESTIS - Associação Florestal de Portugal

Website

https://forestis.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forestis is Portugal's largest forestry federation, representing 37 member forest producer organizations (OPFs) and supporting private and communal forest owners through technical advisory, training, PEFC certification, and EU-funded project management across all Portuguese districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAAAI

Timberland Asset Management & Consulting

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Management & Silviculture

SECONDARYAFAMAKAG

Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYAFAMAKAE

Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYAFAMALAA

Forest Management Unit (FMU) Certification (FSC/PEFC/SFI)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Certification Services

SECONDARYIMAMAJAJ

Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYBPAGAGAD

Forestry & Reforestation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

Keywords

• Sustainable forestry
• Forest management
• Forest certification
• Forestry advisory services
• Forest owner federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Funding: As a non-profit association, Forestis operates primarily through EU co-financed projects (PDR 2020, PRR, POISE, INTERREG, PEFC Fund), national programs (Fundo Ambiental, Fundo Florestal Permanente), and government contracts. Revenue flows from project management fees, technical services rendered under contracts, and subsidies for forest management activities.
2. Training and Formation Services: Provision of vocational training programs for forestry workers, forest firefighters (sapadores florestais), technicians, and forest owners, co-financed by EU social funds.
3. Technical Advisory Services (SAAF): Agricultural and Forestry Advisory Services provided to forest owners and managers, funded through PRR/PEPAC programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forestis is a national non-profit forestry federation that delivers Agricultural and Forestry Advisory Services (SAAF), forest certification support (PEFC, including regional group certification for smallholders), vocational training and capacity-building programs for forestry technicians and workers, environmental education services, and coordination of communal forest (baldios) groupings. It operates the Melhor Floresta digital knowledge platform and manages EU and nationally funded projects on behalf of its 37 member forest producer organizations.

Product overview

Forestis is a national non-profit forestry association that provides a portfolio of services including Agricultural and Forestry Advisory Services (SAAF), forest certification support, training and education programs, and environmental education. The organization operates digital platforms such as the Melhor Floresta platform for knowledge dissemination. Its core offerings center on supporting private and communal forest owners through advisory services, certification, training, and collective management initiatives, particularly targeting small-scale forest properties across Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAAF - Serviços de Aconselhamento Agrícola e Florestal (Agricultural and Forestry Advisory Services) Standalone advisory service delivering technical support, knowledge transfer, and best-practice guidance to forest owners and managers for improved economic, environmental, and social performance of forest operations. Targeted at private forest owners and member OPFs.
• Forest Certification Services (PEFC) Standalone service supporting forest management certification, including group and regional certification schemes, helping small forest owners achieve PEFC certification. Targeted at private forest owners and smallholders in Portugal.
• Regional Group Certification (PEFC) PEFC regional group certification solution designed specifically for small forest property owners, enabling collective certification access that would be uneconomic individually. Targeted at small forest owners and OPFs.
• Forestry Training and Education Programs Standalone vocational training programs, workshops, and capacity-building actions for forest technicians, owners, and operators, covering topics from fire prevention to advanced technologies in forest operations. Includes paid courses such as the PEFC Normative Framework Training Course (370 EUR per participant, 7 hours).
• Environmental Education Services (Serviços Educativos) Standalone educational services and programs promoting forest awareness, including school programs, environmental activities, and public outreach initiatives. Targeted at schools, educators, students, municipalities, and the general public.
• Agrupamentos de Baldios Management Service Standalone support and coordination service for communal forest (baldios) groupings, facilitating collective management and governance of community forest territories, including forest management planning and cadastral registration. Targeted at communal forest entities and elected communal boards.
• Plataforma Melhor Floresta (Digital Knowledge Platform) Standalone digital platform disseminating and sharing good forestry practices in Portugal, organizing and providing technical and operational information in an accessible format as a knowledge repository for forest sector agents. Targeted at forest owners, technicians, and sector professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62,852.62 hectares of communal forest managed through grouped management model
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• 23 OPF Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SAAF Movimento Forestis project partners including AFACC, AFCAVADO, AFCGOIS, AFEDT, AFEDV, AFLIMA, AFLODOUNORTE, AFLOPINHAL, AFVSOUSA, APFAM, APFCAN, APFLOR, APFVMINHO, ARBOREA, ASVA, PORTUCALEA, RIBAFLOR for agricultural and forestry advisory services.
• ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das FlorestasmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partner in BIOCHORUME project for biological systems using manure from intensive dairy farms, contributing to environmental sustainability.
• INESC TECmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Technology partner in GOTECFOR project developing solutions for forest biomass mobilization and use in agro-industry, including IT optimization tools.
• PEFC PortugalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2015Partnership in Regional Group Certification project to demonstrate certification processes and advantages for small forest owners, integrating new owners and promoting responsible consumption.
• SDC - Sociedade para o Desenvolvemento Comarcal de GaliciamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2003Lead institution in SIGN I project creating cross-border GIS system for Galicia-North Portugal rural territory under INTERREG III A program.
• Altri FlorestalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated by Altri Florestal, Forestis is part of the Agenda transForm consortium (56 partners) working on digital transformation of the forest value chain for a resilient economy and carbon neutrality. Total investment of 129.3M EUR until December 2025.
• CoLAB ForestWISEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical-scientific management of Agenda transForm project. Collaborative research entity focused on forest sciences and innovation.
• The Navigator CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in GOFITOGLOBULUS project for prevention and combat of eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus platensis), contributing to sustainable eucalyptus management.
• Asociación Forestal de GaliciamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner in Florestas Sustentáveis project promoting sustainable forests and demonstrative mountains in Portugal, under Inditex funding.
• ESB UCP - Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica PortuguesamajorTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner in BIOCHORUME project providing scientific expertise for biological treatment systems and sustainable biomass production.
• ISA - Instituto Superior de AgronomiamajorTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner in GOFITOGLOBULUS project contributing research expertise for eucalyptus pest control and sustainable forest management.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Forest Institute (EFI): Pan-European research and policy organization supporting evidence-based forest management. Comparable to Forestis in mission orientation (non-profit, public-good forest services) but at a broader international policy/research level and a potential knowledge partner for Forestis's Agenda transForm activities.
• FSC International: Global not-for-profit that operates the competing Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. Relevant as an adjacent ecosystem participant and indirect competitor for the certification services Forestis delivers through PEFC, shaping the standards and market access for the smallholders Forestis serves.
• PEFC International: Global umbrella organization for the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, with which Forestis partners through PEFC Portugal for regional group certification. Comparable in standing as the governing body for the dominant certification scheme Forestis promotes to its smallholder members.
• Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF): Pan-European federation of national forest owner associations, of which Forestis is effectively a member-tier peer. Operates one level above Forestis in coordinating EU-level policy advocacy, certification harmonization, and cross-border projects for private forest owners.

Regional players

• ANEFA - Associação Nacional das Empresas Florestais: Portuguese national association of forestry service companies and contractors. Operates in the same domestic ecosystem as Forestis but represents the commercial contractor side rather than forest owners; comparable in scale and sector influence and a natural counterparty in policy discussions.
• CELPA - Associação da Indústria Papeleira: Portuguese pulp and paper industry association, the principal downstream buyer of forestry output. Already partnered with Forestis through Navigator and Altri. Comparable in being a national forest-sector association, but representing industrial rather than ownership interests.
• Skogsindustrierna (Swedish Forest Industries Federation): Swedish federation representing forest-owning companies and industry associations. Comparable to Forestis as a national federation coordinating the interests of forest owners/operators, training, and sustainability advocacy, but at substantially larger scale and with a stronger industrial ownership base.
• Finnish Forest Association (Metsäyhdistys): National Finnish non-profit association promoting sustainable forestry and private forest owner interests, with analogous advocacy, communication, and advisory functions to Forestis though in a much larger and more consolidated private forest market.

Direct peers

• Asociación Forestal de Galicia: Galician counterpart operating as a regional federation of forest owners with a similar associative model for private and communal forestry. Already a strategic partner of Forestis in cross-border projects (Florestas Sustentáveis, INTERREG), it is the closest functional equivalent serving the same customer archetype across the Iberian border.
• Confederación de Organizaciones de Selvicultores de España (COSE): Spanish national confederation of forest owner organizations aggregating regional forest producer associations. Comparable in role to Forestis at the national level in Spain, representing owner interests, delivering training and advisory services, and managing group certification schemes for smallholders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/forestis_pt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forestis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forestis