Opening opportunities for indigenous peoples through forest certification
In recent years, indigenous communities have made significant progress in securing acknowledgement of their human rights and the property rights for their land and their traditional knowledge. Forest certification has the potential to enhance this positive development and further the recognition of indigenous rights. The PEFC Sustainability Benchmarks require that areas fundamental to meeting the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities, such as health and subsistence, shall be protected or managed in a way that takes due regard of the significance of the site.