PORTUGAL (News release) -- Sonae Arauco is now a member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International, taking another important step in its mission of creating a sustainable forest value chain.

According to Kim Carstensen, Director General of FSC International, "the global membership of FSC is growing considerably at the moment, and we're very happy to welcome Sonae Arauco as the newest international member in Portugal. We look forward to working with Sonae Arauco to deliver on the shared mission of our global membership to ensure responsible forest management that leads to Forests For All forever."

"Being a member of FSC International made perfect sense for Sonae Arauco, once that we are completely committed with the use of wood originated from sustainable sources, certified and controlled", explains Nuno Calado, Wood Regulation & Sustainability Manager at Sonae Arauco.

Sonae Arauco - a result of a joint-venture between the Portuguese Sonae Indústria and the Chilean Arauco companies - is now one of the 1.137 members of the organization which, in 2014, had 842 members. The FSC is structured in three pillars (environmental, social and economic) and all have equal rights in decision-making processes.