FAO Says That Primary Processed Wood Products Consumption Will Grow 37%

According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the overall consumption of primary processed wood products is predicted to increase by 37% by 2050 if the scenario remains business as usual.

Primary processed wood products such as wood pulp, particle/fibreboard, sawn wood, and veneer/plywood consumption are expected to amount to a total of 3.1 billion cubic meters of round wood equivalents by 2050. According to the global forest sector outlook 2050: Assessing future demand and sources of timber for a sustainable economy.

The consumption increase will be higher by at least 8% in a bio-economy scenario where two modern wood products are considered, specifically manmade cellulose fibers and mass timber, as a substitute for non-renewable materials.

The report stated that wood is recyclable, renewable, versatile, and climate-friendly. This has been gaining popularity as an alternative to replace non-renewable materials. This is an important material used in the effort to combat climate change and threats to the environment and biodiversity caused by using non-renewable materials.

Deputy Director of FAO’s Forestry Division, Ewald Rametsteiner said that “The forest sector is critical for resilient and sustainable economies. Ensuring the sustainability of the forest sector will require innovation and investments, but also policy coherence,”

The report also says that compared to the estimated population increase of 25%, the rise in consumption of wood products “will be driven by higher incomes in emerging world regions resulting in catch-up effects for consumer goods and in more construction sector activities,”

Source: Business Mirror