Forest products, from fuelwood to paper, are a foundation of human society. And, commerce in forest products is as old as civilization. Trees provide housing, shelter, heat, food, medicine and, now, even textiles and tall buildings.
FAO currently collects data on 59 forest products, including the production and trade of primary products such as roundwood, sawnwood, and pulp and paper, as well as trade in secondary products, including wooden furniture and packaging materials.
FAO hosts annual global data on the production and trade of forest products as well as data from the pulp and paper capacity survey; supports international classifications that underly comparable global data; and builds the capacity of Member States to collect and report strong data on forest products.
As a changing climate mandates the slashing of carbon emissions, trees offer natural solutions. More sustainable management of forests and smarter use, consumption and reuse of forest products will contribute to better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life as well as to the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy. This forward march will be powered by data; better data to accelerate progress toward a more resilient and equitable future.
Highlights
Data
Data since 1961 on production and trade of forest products; resources for understanding and using these data.
Resources
Annual data summaries including the FAO Yearbook of Forest Products and the Pulp and Paper Capacities Annual Survey; reports on classifications and special initiatives.
Events
Workshops that bring together forest product and statistics experts to support the production of high quality national data.
Classifications
FAO supports the global classification systems that enable compilation of comparable data through development of new codes and publication of the Classification of Forest Products.
Key facts
#1
In the early 1990s, the industry introduced a forest product capable of replacing concrete and steel in certain building applications: cross-laminated timber (CLT). With its crisscrossing layers of sawnwood glued together, CLT panels proved strong and stable enough for office buildings and even skyscrapers.But it was not until a decade ago, as more and more countries embraced the technology, that CLT became an internationally traded product.
#2
In 2018, the construction sector alone was responsible for an estimated 40 percent of energy and process-related greenhouse gas emissions. Using more wood in the sector is a cost-effective way to roll back that percentage.
#3
Worldwide, around 2.4 billion people still cook using fuels such as wood and kerosene, mostly in Africa. Illegal or unsustainable wood harvesting for energy production negates progress towards SDG 15, and in particular Target 15.2, which promotes sustainable management and a halt to deforestation.
Latest
Global forest products facts and figures 2023
12/2024
A synthesis of major trends in production, trade, and consumption of forest products, 2019-2023, based on the FAOSTAT-Forestry database and including a short summary of recent improvements in FAO’s work on forest product statistics. These data are essential for monitoring change and innovation in the global wood industry.
Pulp and paper capacities, survey 2023–2025
09/2024
The annual FAO survey of global pulp and paper capacities is based on data received from correspondents. The survey provides statistics on pulp and paper production capacity along with short-term production capacity forecasts. It also presents statistics on pulp and paper production and information about the utilization of recovered paper.
Sustainability by numbers - Forest products at FAO
10/2023
Timber for housing and shelter. Fruit, berries and bark for sustenance and health. Wood for heating and cooking, shipbuilding, and arts and crafts. Without trees, there would be no society as we know it. And the more society advances technologically, the more apparent its innate connection to the forest, and the more evident the related benefits.
Contact
Arvydas Lebedys
Forestry Officer (Statistics)
Forest Products and Bioeconomy
[email protected]