PEFC FRANCE
PEFC France is the French national member of the global PEFC forest certification system. Founded in 1999, it certifies 8.1+ million hectares of forest, 83,700+ forest owners, and 3,200+ enterprises across the French wood supply chain via sustainable forest management, chain of custody, and construction project certifications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersPARIS, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PEFC FRANCE does
PEFC France, legally Association Française de Certification Forestière (dite PEFC France), is the French national member of PEFC International and operates as a non-profit association under French Law 1901, headquartered at 149 rue de Bercy, Paris. Founded in 1999, it administers the PEFC sustainable forest management certification system across metropolitan France, Corsica, and French Guiana, covering more than 8.1 million hectares of certified forest, including 2.4 million hectares of the Domaine Forestier Permanent in French Guiana. Its core products are three certification schemes: (1) Sustainable Forest Management Certification for forest owners, (2) Chain of Custody Certification tracking certified wood from forest to finished product through independent third-party audits, and (3) Project Certification requiring minimum 70% certified wood content for construction projects. It also maintains specialized tropical-forest standards for French Guiana (PEFC/FR ST 1003-2:2025) and an EU Deforestation Regulation (RDUE) due diligence module.
PEFC FRANCE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PEFC FRANCE
- Legal name
- Association Française de Certification Forestière (dite PEFC France)
- Website
- https://pefc-france.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PEFC France is the French national member of the global PEFC forest certification system. Founded in 1999, it certifies 8.1+ million hectares of forest, 83,700+ forest owners, and 3,200+ enterprises across the French wood supply chain via sustainable forest management, chain of custody, and construction project certifications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PEFC FRANCE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Forest Certification Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ)
Keywords
Where PEFC FRANCE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- PARIS
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PEFC FRANCE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Certification fees from forest owners: Forest owners pay certification fees to join PEFC and maintain their sustainable forest management certification. This covers forest management plan development, audits, and ongoing compliance verification.
- Chain of custody certification for enterprises: Companies in the wood supply chain (sawmills, manufacturers, distributors) pay for chain of custody certification, enabling them to use the PEFC label on products. Annual audits by independent certification bodies are part of this stream.
- Project certification fees: Construction project developers pay for PEFC project certification to demonstrate responsible wood sourcing in buildings. Requires minimum 70% certified wood content verification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Forest owner certification - based on forest area and management type |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise chain of custody certification - based on company size and certification scope |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Project certification - based on project size and wood volume |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels11 records
PEFC FRANCE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PEFC France operates a forest certification system that guarantees sustainable forest management practices and enables traceability of certified wood products from forest to finished goods. The organization issues three core certification offerings — Sustainable Forest Management certification for forest owners, Chain of Custody certification for companies in the wood supply chain, and Project certification for construction projects using a minimum of 70% certified wood — together with the PEFC label and an EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) due diligence module.
Product overview
PEFC France is a forest certification organization offering a comprehensive system of certification products and services. The core offerings include forest management certification, chain of custody certification, and project certification for construction (Certification de projet PEFC). PEFC France also provides the PEFC Label for certified products, specialized standards for French Guiana tropical forests, and the PEFC RDUE due diligence system for EU regulatory compliance. Supporting services include a documentation center, certified companies database, and the La Forêt s'invite à l'École educational program. The organization connects forest owners (83,700+), companies (3,200+), and certified products through a unified certification ecosystem covering 8.1 million hectares of forests in France.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PEFC Sustainable Forest Management Certification
- Chain of Custody Certification
- PEFC Project Certification (Certification de projet PEFC)
- PEFC Standards for French Guiana (PEFC/FR ST 1003-2:2025)
- PEFC EUDR Due Diligence System (PEFC RDUE DDS)
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 in 10 French consumers recognize PEFC, influencing purchase decisions for nearly 70% (Green Label Equity, IFOP, 2022)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use PEFC FRANCE
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PEFC FRANCE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
PEFC FRANCE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- TeragircorePEFC France partners with Teragir for educational programs including 'La Forêt s'invite à l'École' (2,000 projects, 160,000 students since 2016) and coordination of the International Forest Day (March 21). Teragir organizes hundreds of activities nationwide to promote forest awareness.
- ONF (Office National des Forêts)coreONF manages the Domaine Forestier Permanent (DFP) of French Guiana, certified PEFC since 2012. The DFP covers 2.4 million hectares of Amazonian forest. ONF implements PEFC standards including exploitation à faible impact principles, conducting multifunctional management balancing protection, production, and public access.
- Collectivité territoriale de GuyanecoreLocal government of French Guiana participates in PEFC standard development for tropical forests, ensuring local needs and customs are integrated into certification requirements.
- Interprobois GuyanecoreWood industry interprofessional organization of French Guiana co-develops PEFC standards for tropical forestry, ensuring industry perspective is incorporated.
- Grand Conseil Coutumier de GuyanecoreTraditional indigenous council of French Guiana ensures PEFC standards respect customary rights and traditional uses of forest by indigenous communities in certified areas.
- INRAE, CNES, CNRSmajorFrench research institutions (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment; National Centre for Space Studies; National Centre for Scientific Research) co-developed the exploitation à faible impact charter for tropical forests, providing scientific expertise for low-impact forestry practices.
- Institut technologique FCBAmajorFCBA technological institute partnered with PEFC France to officially deliver PEFC project certification to Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, verifying sustainable wood sourcing for cathedral reconstruction.
- PEFC InternationalcorePEFC France is the national member of PEFC International, the global forest certification system coordinating standards across 57 countries and 300 million hectares of certified forests.
- PEFC International, PEFC Belgium, PEFC Estonia, PEFC Bassin du CongomajorJoint presence at Carrefour International du Bois 2026 demonstrating international PEFC network cooperation. PEFC Bassin du Congo presented on tropical forest certification.
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Agroalimentaire et de la Souveraineté alimentairecoreFrench Ministry of Agriculture participates in PEFC governance and standard development, ensuring alignment with national agricultural and forestry policies.
- PEFC Corsica (PEFC Territoires)coreRegional PEFC organization managing certification development in Corsica, working with Collectivité de Corse and Communes forestières de Corse on 45,000 hectare expansion plan.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights1 record
PEFC FRANCE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SGS: SGS is a global leader in inspection, verification, testing and certification services and operates accredited programs that compete with or underpin PEFC and FSC chain-of-custody certifications for wood and forest products in France and internationally.
- Bureau Veritas Certification: Bureau Veritas is one of the largest global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) firms and acts as an accredited third-party certification body performing PEFC, FSC, and other chain-of-custody / forest management audits - both a potential channel and a competitor for certification services across the same forest-products supply chain.
- PEFC International: PEFC International is the Geneva-based parent organization and global standard-setter for the PEFC system, of which PEFC France is a national member; it operates the same certification products at a global level and coordinates the 57-country, 300M-hectare network that PEFC France draws on.
- DNV (Business Assurance): DNV is a major accredited certification body offering forest chain-of-custody, ISO-based sustainability, and due-diligence services that overlap with PEFC's auditor ecosystem and compete for the same supply-chain certification budgets of large European wood-product buyers.
Emerging players
- Preferred by Nature: Preferred by Nature (formerly NEPCon) is a non-profit organization that conducts PEFC and FSC certifications and runs its own sustainability verification programs; it is active in France and offers overlapping certification and capacity-building services to forest owners and supply-chain companies.
- Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance offers sustainability certification and labeling that intersects with forestry and responsible sourcing; while its core focus is agriculture/cocoa/coffee, it operates in adjacent supply-chain and brand-sustainability territory that overlaps with PEFC's distributor and brand programs.
- ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification): ISCC is a leading sustainability certification system applied to biomass, biofuels, and forest-based supply chains, partially overlapping PEFC's biomass fuel certification (ENplus/SBP/FSC chain of custody) and competing for the same bioenergy and bio-based materials buyers in Europe.
Regional players
- AFNOR Certification: AFNOR Certification is the French national standards body and certification provider, operating as an accredited body for ISO and PEFC/FSC audits; it is regionally relevant as a French TIC peer and was closely tied to PEFC France's launch under its original name (Pan European Forest Certification).
Direct peers
- FSC France: FSC France is the French national member of FSC International and competes head-to-head with PEFC France for French forest owners, sawmills, manufacturers, retailers (DIY, supermarkets), and construction project certifications, using the same chain-of-custody and FMU model.
- FSC International: FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is the world's other leading forest certification system and PEFC's principal direct competitor, offering parallel sustainable forest management and chain-of-custody certifications to the same forest owners, manufacturers, distributors, and brands in France and globally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PEFC FRANCE social profiles
Digital presencePEFC FRANCE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PEFC FRANCE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PEFC FRANCE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
PEFC FRANCE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PEFC FRANCE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PEFC FRANCE
What does PEFC FRANCE do?
PEFC France operates a forest certification system that guarantees sustainable forest management practices and enables traceability of certified wood products from forest to finished goods. The organization issues three core certification offerings — Sustainable Forest Management certification for forest owners, Chain of Custody certification for companies in the wood supply chain, and Project certification for construction projects using a minimum of 70% certified wood — together with the PEFC label and an EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) due diligence module.
Is PEFC FRANCE a public or private company?
PEFC FRANCE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PEFC FRANCE founded?
PEFC FRANCE was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PEFC FRANCE based?
PEFC FRANCE is headquartered in PARIS, France, in the Europe region.
How does PEFC FRANCE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Certification fees from forest owners are the primary driver. The others are chain of custody certification for enterprises and project certification fees.
Who are PEFC FRANCE's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SGS, Bureau Veritas Certification, PEFC International and DNV (Business Assurance). Emerging players are Preferred by Nature, Rainforest Alliance and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification). AFNOR Certification is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are FSC France and FSC International.
Does PEFC FRANCE have an API?
No public API is recorded for PEFC FRANCE.
What industry is PEFC FRANCE in?
PEFC FRANCE's product category is Forest Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAJAJ, Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI). Its NAICS code is 11531 and its SIC code is 800.