The first PEFC honey from forests certified in Sustainable Forest Management in Europe is from El Perelló

PEFC is the most widely used forest certification system in the world. Its main objective is to ensure that forests are managed responsibly, and that their multitude of functions are protected for present and future generations.

El Perelló, February 17th 2021,

The business vision of the Muria company faces various actions to maintain biodiversity, going beyond caring for bees, promoting pollination to produce a beneficial environmental impact for the planet. During this last year, it has worked hand in hand with PEFC Catalonia to certify the first honey from forests certified in Sustainable Forest Management in Europe and the first to be exported worldwide.

The PEFC Catalonia team has traveled to the Muria offices to deliver the PEFC Chain of Custody Certificate that guarantees mountain honey from well-managed forests that respect the environment and biodiversity.

Josep Maria Vila de Abadal, president of PEFC Catalonia, presents the PEFC certificate to the president of Mel Muria, Rafel Muria Martí.
The Catalan Association for the Promotion of Forest Certification, PEFC CATALUNYA, was founded in 2001, promoted by 19 entities linked to the forest world, integrated by forest owners (public and private), industries of wood transformation and other sectors such as: consumers, conservationists, professionals, universities, etc.

After nearly 20 years working for good forest management  the association has advised that 265,476 ha of forests owned by private and public forest owners (20% of the arboreal area -forest of Catalonia) are certified by PEFC, and that 185 companies transformers and traders in Catalonia are certified by the Chain of Custody for the PEFC system.

SAT Ltda. Apícola El Perelló, the perellonenc beekeepers of the Muria family who have cared for bees since 1810, are dedicated to commercializing different varieties from forest varieties, sustainably managed, offering solutions adapted to different markets.

This family business has unified the knowledge of their encestors, the respect for the conservation of the agri-environmental quality of the Mediterranean mountains and the most advanced technology to create a range of bee products of the highest quality, projected at international level.

The Presidents of PEFC Catalunya, Josep Maria Vila de Abadal, together with the President of PEFC Espanya, Juan Luis Abián Perruca have delivered the PEFC certificate to Rafel Muria Martí, president of Miel Muria and have signed the agreement for the license of the PEFC Logotype, so that the company can use the PEFC seal as a guarantee of sustainable origin of the honey that also gives a world-wide recognition.

Signature of the agreement for the license of the PEFC logotype, by the presidents of PEFC Catalunya and Mel Muria.

The certification process has been “easy and logical, because we counted with internal processes to guarantee the traceability of the mel” as stated by Rafel Muria, President of Miel Muria. Pedro González, director of the Certification of Compliance and Sustainability of the Bureau Veritas certification entity, affirms that “from Bureau Veritas, we have always been able to  value all the forest products with the PEFC certification, including the non-wood products. The responsible and respectful use of all the products that forests offer us favors their economic sustainability and feedback for the improvement of ther management ”.

Josep Maria Vila affirms that “the foresters and the beekeepers have begun this journey together to donate value to forests beyond wood and to guarantee the continuity and conservation of the forests”

The President of PEFC Espanya, Juan Luis Abian Perruca comments “the great step that supposed to have the first PEFC certified honey that will be exported to the whole world and that is in addition to other non wood forest products  certified like pine nuts, Bierzo chestnuts  or the high-end acorn-fed Iberian ham raised in Andalusian pastures “.

About PEFC

PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) was created in 1999 as a voluntary initiative of the private forestry sector, currently the forest certification system most implanted in the world: with a certified area of ​​more than 307 million ha in 35 countries, and more than 20,000 certified PEFC Chain of Custody companies in 72 countries. Currently, Spain has 2,311,218 hectares of certified forests, integrating more than 36,931 public and private managers. The PEFC certification seal offers the guarantee that this vast forest area is being managed in a sustainable way from an environmental, social and economic perspective. Regarding the forest value chain industry, 1,517 companies and facilities in the forest sector, sawyers, first and secound transformation industries, merchants, warehousing, paper or printer companies, have obtained PEFC certifications that ensure the sustainability of raw forest materials used in their production.