Forest products statistics vital for effective planning

Numbers matter

Young Massai woman carrying fuelwood in Tanzania. Photo credit: FAO Forestry Media Base (J. Lejeune)

27 November 2014, Johannesburg – Improving and enhancing country capacity on forest products statistics in southern Africa is of critical importance for the future of the subregion’s forests, it was concluded today at a three-day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The workshop brought together experts from national forestry agencies and national statistical institutions from southern Africa as well as experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Tropical Timber Organization and the Southern Africa Development Community Secretariat (SADC).

Forestry statistics are important for both the southern African region and at the country level, as they inform policy at a time when global efforts to arrest the effects of climate change have been heightened.

Although forestry activities are estimated to be currently generating a massive US$7.6 billion a year (about 1.4 percent of the regional gross domestic product), the sector remains underreported mainly because the majority of the activities take place in the informal sector.

“Forestry accounts for 3.5 percent of all employment – 2.1 million people in southern Africa – mostly in the informal sector”, said Rene Czudek, FAO Forestry Officer for southern Africa. “In addition to this, around 70 million use wood fuel and charcoal to cook. These fuels account for 11 percent of all energy use in southern Africa, and this just goes to show the importance of the sector”, added Mr Czudek.

Interestingly, women collect 80 percent of wood fuel and spend an average 10 percent of their time looking for the firewood but only account for 15 percent of formal employment in forestry. However, more women are employed further along the value chain in trade and marketing.

“Improving forest statistics is very important for southern Africa, and the establishment of a forestry database is one of the priorities mentioned in the SADC Protocol on Forestry”, said Moses Chakanga, SADC Programme Officer for Forestry.

By holding the workshop, FAO and the stakeholders have demonstrated that numbers matter, as statistics form the backbone of proper planning not only for forestry but also for other sectors of the economy.

“Few countries in southern Africa have accurate statistics on forest production and this has made government planning difficult,” said Arvydas Lebedys, FAO Forestry Statistician. “In addition, many activities that fall within the sector escape detection due to their informal nature. It is important that they be identified and duly included in national statistics as they have a huge bearing on the economic production of countries.

Participants discussed the importance of planning ahead – both at individual government and subregional level – on how to harness the benefits of forests and agreed this needed be based on current data that is continuously updated.

“We need to embrace the use of the latest methodologies as well as learn from other good practices within the subregion,” Mr Lebedys concluded.

Additional information is available here:

Contact:

Edward Ogolla | Communication Officer | FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa | Harare, Zimbabwe | Email: [email protected]

Leonard Makombe | Communication Officer | FAO Zimbabwe | Harare, Zimbabwe | Email: Leonard. [email protected]