The main problems presented by current FAO wood energy data are briefly discussed below in terms of database structure. It should be stressed that these aspects do not cover questions regarding the figures or values presented or estimated in FAO statistics; they concern only the structure of the database.
· Coverage: currently FAO statistics only include data and information on fuelwood and charcoal, omitting other important kinds of wood-derived fuels. For instance, data on black liquor (the most important form of wood energy in many developed countries) are omitted. In addition, key agrofuels are not considered at all by FAO statistics
· Disaggregation: regardless of the importance of non-forest supply sources of wood energy and the large use of recycled products, the supply side is not disaggregated in the FAO wood energy database. On the other hand, although there is a clear shift of wood energy demand from traditional to modern uses with considerable repercussions on whole wood energy systems, information on demand is absent in the current FAO database.
· Definition and units incompatibility: the absence of a comprehensive framework and clear set of definitions limit the possibility of comparison and exchange with other data sources on bioenergy.