Mar 25, 2011. /Lesprom Network/. The Latvian forestry industry has received a boost after being backed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), as KMS Baltics reported. Bosses at the PEFC, which is an international body that oversees the timber production sector, have approved the latest version of the Latvian Forest Certification System. In doing so, it has acknowledged that private forestry owners in the Baltic nation are maintaining high working standards and are being respectful of the local area's residents. This is especially important in Latvia, as 55% of the country is covered by forests – double the amount seen 50 years ago. Chairman of the PEFC Latvia Council Arnis Muižnieks highlighted the vital nature of the timber and forestry industry to the nation. "The forest sector employs more than 83,000 people and is of increasing importance for the Latvian economy in general," he remarked. Forest certification first came to light following a United Nations Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and the PEFC was established in 1999 to regulate the system.