Founded in 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organization with the goal of promoting environmentally appropriate, socially responsible and economically viable management of the world's forests. The FSC's members include environmental and social groups, indigenous peoples' organizations and representatives of the forestry profession and the timber trade. The FSC establishes international principles and criteria for forest management and accredits certification bodies which assess forestry companies according to their compliance with an agreed set of indicators. The FSC standards consist of ten basic principles, the specific details of which vary from country to country.

The FSC label attests that in the opinion of independent inspectors, the forests are well managed on a sustainable basis in accordance with strict environmental, social and economic criteria.