ITALY – Overall consumption of primary processed wood products is expected to grow 37 percent by 2050 in a business-as-usual scenario, a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said.

Consumption of primary processed wood products – sawnwood, veneer/plywood, particle/fibreboard and wood pulp – is predicted to total 3.1 billion cubic metres of roundwood equivalents – a measure of logs used in the making of wood-based products – by 2050, according to The global forest sector outlook 2050: Assessing future demand and sources of timber for a sustainable economy.

Jointly produced by FAO, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the consultancy Unique land use GmbH, the report was launched during the 26th Session of the Committee on Forestry and is relevant to Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 15. It combines the results of a long-term outlook for the forest sector to 2050 with an assessment of wood demand in a sustainable economic environment.

This demand will need to be met by increasing productivity through sustainable forest management in existing forests and encouraging wood production as part of land restoration programmes and projects. If naturally regenerated forest production remains stable, the planting of at least 33 million hectares of new forests will be needed, the report said.

Investments required to maintain and expand industrial roundwood production may require a total of around USD 40 billion per annum by 2050, according to The global forest sector outlook 2050.  Another USD 25 billion per annum investment in modernization and in establishing industries may be required.