Private Forest Ownership and Wood Mobilization in Europe

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Private Forest Ownership and Private Forest Ownership and Wood Mobilization in EuropeWood Mobilization in Europe

Franziska Hirsch and Sebastian HetschFranziska Hirsch and Sebastian Hetsch

UNECE/FAO Timber SectionUNECE/FAO Timber Section

UN Economic Commission for EuropeUN Economic Commission for Europe


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution 1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability2.2 Wood Mobilization


1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution 1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability2.2 Wood Mobilization

OverviewOverview


Private Forest Ownership in Private Forest Ownership in Europe Europe UNECE/FAO/MCPFE/CEPF EnquiryUNECE/FAO/MCPFE/CEPF Enquiry

Issues Specification

Forest ownership

Holding structure

Socio-economic data

Trends

Private Public Other

Individuals / fami-lies/ institutions

State / provincial / communal

Total area of holdings

Total number of holdingsby size classes

Individual owners

Age + Gender

Occu-pation

Resi-dence

Objec-tives

Restitution / PrivatisationChanges in past 15 years Organisation in FOAs, Fragmentation


addressed to 38 MCPFE countries

23 participated

Countries thatparticipated

Countries that did not participate

Countries not addressed

Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

Spain

Portugal

Andorra

Italy

FranceSwitzerland

Austria

Slovenia

CroatiaBosnia and

HerzegovinaSerbia andMontenegroFYR Macedonia

Albania

Greece

Turkey

Cyprus

Romania

Bulgaria

Moldova

Ukraine

Hungary

Slovakia

Czech Rep.

Poland

Belarus

Russian FederationEstonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Denmark

Germany

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Belgium

United Kingdom

Ireland

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Iceland

Malta


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution1.1 Ownership Distribution1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends



Overall Ownership Distribution Overall Ownership Distribution (a)(a)

Share [%] in area of forest and other wooded land in Europe

50.09%

0.36%

49.55%

Private ownership

Public ownership

Other ownership

Significant share of private ownership (50%)

Includes: land where ownership is

not defined, land that belongs to

indigenous or tribal people.


Overall Ownership Distribution Overall Ownership Distribution … large difference at the country level (b)… large difference at the country level (b)

Countries with predominance of private ownership


Countries with predominance of public ownership

Overall Ownership Distribution Overall Ownership Distribution … large difference at the country level (c)… large difference at the country level (c)


Ownership Categories (a)Ownership Categories (a)

Public Forests mostly owned by the State

Private Forest mostly owned by Individuals/

Families


Country Level Structure (b)Country Level Structure (b)

Belgium

37%

0%

15%12%

0%

36%

0% Individuals / families

Forest industries

Private institutions

State ownership

Provincial ownership

Communal Ownership

Other ownership


Country Level Structure (c)Country Level Structure (c)

Poland

16%0%

1%

82%

0%

1% 0%

Individuals / families

Forest industries

Private institutions

State ownership

Provincial ownership

Communal Ownership

Other ownership


Holding StructureHolding StructureShare (%) of holdings < 6ha in total area of private holdings

73

4133 32 29

2419

9 6 51 1 0 0

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

Polan

d

Slove

nia

Czech

Rep

ublic

Nether

lands

Belgiu

m

France

Latvi

a

Austri

a

Unite

d Kin

gdom

Hungar

y

Norway

Slova

kia

Bulgar

ia

Roman

ia

Restitution/privation: often towards smallholding ... large variances on a country level


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability

2.2 Wood Mobilization


Relative share of age classes of private forest owners (%)

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

Belgiu

m

Franc

e

Lith

uania

Roman

ia

Hungar

y

Finlan

d

Slove

nia

Switzer

land

Norway

Latvi

a

Irelan

d

Austri

a

Polan

d

> 60

30 to 60

< 30

Socio-economic observations Socio-economic observations (a)(a)

Large variability in age class amongst private forest owners...


Socio-economic observations Socio-economic observations (b)(b)

...often outside traditional agricultural / forestry sector

Field of occupation of individual owners (%)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Austri

a

Finlan

d

Franc

e

Roman

ia

Slove

nia

Switzer

land

Hunga

ry

Irelan

d

Pensioner

Outside Agriculture/Forestry

Agriculture/Forestry, total


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution1.2 Socio-Economic Observations 1.3 Trends1.3 Trends



Findings/TrendsFindings/Trends

Issue Findings

Holding structure

Large difference in number of national FAOs, membership of international FOAs and share of organized owners: „all“ in AT, „almost all „in FI, 1% in PL

Ownership and

increment/ fellings

Lower fellings in private forests despite often higher increment rate

Association

Restitution / Privatisation

in CEEC

Nearing completion in most countries, ongoing in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia Towards small holdings in some countries (PL, SL, CZ)


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability

2.2 Wood Mobilization


Energy Policies, Wood Demand & Availability

UNECE/FAO Timber Section work on forest resources, wood markets and outlook

• European Forest Sector Outlook Study (EFSOS 1960-2000-2020)

• UNECE/FAO/IEA/EU Joint Wood Energy Enquiry (2006) http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/mis/energy/activities.htm

Promotion of renewable energy by EU and national governments (2020: 20)

Wood currently (2005) most important RES in EU


Energy Policies, Wood Demand & Availability

Study “Wood Resource Availability and Demand: Implications of renewable energy policies”

Difference of 47 mil m3 between supply and consumption (2005)

Energy policies require (in EU/EFTA) + 138 mil m3 in 2010 and + 277 mil m3 in 2020

Need to mobilize more wood resource Empirical research urgently needed UNECE/FAO Policy Forum “Bioenergy policies and

targets” (10 Oct 2007)


OverviewOverview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry1.1 Ownership Distribution1.2 Socio-Economic Observations1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability

2.2 Wood Mobilization2.2 Wood Mobilization


Wood Mobilization

UNECE/FAO/MCPFE/CEPI Workshop “Mobilizing Wood Resources” (January 2007) Conclusions and recommendations:

• Achieve policy coherence• Collect, make available comprehensive, reliable

information• Involve whole wood supply chain• Empower forest owners: clustering, association• Provide education and training • Develop forest infrastructure• Respect limits of SFM

http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/workshops/2007/wmw/mobilisingwood.htm


More InformationMore Information

UNECE/FAO Timber Section www.unece.org/trade/timber

Private Forest Ownership - Database & background information: www.unece.org/trade/timber/WA2.html [email protected], Tel: +41 22 917 24 80

Wood Availability and Mobilization:

www.unece.org/trade/timber/docs/tc-sessions/tc-65/policyforum/

[email protected], Tel.: +41 22 917 41 70

Documents

Private Forest Ownership and Wood Mobilization in Europe