Private Forest Ownership and

Wood Mobilization in Europe

Franziska Hirsch and Sebastian Hetsch

UNECE/FAO Timber Section
UN Economic Commission for Europe

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Private Forest Ownership in Europe
UNECE/FAO/MCPFE/CEPF Enquiry
Issues Specification
Private Public Other
Forest
ownership Individuals / fami- State / provincial /
lies/ institutions communal

Holding Total area of holdings

by size classes
structure Total number of holdings

Individual owners
Socio-economic
data Age + Occu- Resi- Objec-
Gender pation dence tives

Restitution / Privatisation
Trends Changes in past 15 years
Organisation in FOAs, Fragmentation

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Private Forest Ownership Enquiry
Iceland addressed to 38
MCPFE countries
23 participated
Finland

Norway

Estonia
Sweden
Russian Federation

Latvia

Lithuania
Countries that
Denmark
Irelan
Belarus
participated
d
United
Kingdom Ukraine
Netherlands
Poland
Germany Countries that did not
Belgium Czech Rep.
participate
Slovakia
Luxembourg Moldova
Austria Hungary Romani

France
Switzerland
Slovenia
a
Countries not
Bosnia and
CroatiaHerzegovin
addressed
a Serbia and Bulgaria
Italy Montenegro
Andorra FYR Macedonia
Portugal Albania
Turkey
Spain
Greece

Malta
Cyprus

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Overall Ownership Distribution (a)
Share [%] in area of forest and other wooded land in
Europe

0.36%

49.55%

50.09% Includes: land

where ownership is
not defined, land
Private ownership that belongs to
indigenous or tribal
Public ownership people.
Other ownership

Significant share of private ownership (50%)

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

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

Share (%) in area of forest and other w ooded land

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Austria Finland France Iceland Norway Slovenia United
Kingdom

Public Private

Countries with predominance of private ownership

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overall Ownership Distribution
large difference at the country level (c)
Share (%) in area of forest and other wooded land
( 1) forest only )
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

ia
nd
1)
li c
ia

en

nd
an
ar

ub

la
a

la
ed
lg

ni

om
Po
ep

er
Bu

ua

Sw

i tz
R
R

th

Sw
ch

Li
ze

Public Private
C

Countries with predominance of public ownership

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Ownership Categories (a)
Public ownership structure in Europe
according to % share in FOWL (11 countries)
Ownership structure in Europe
according to % share in FOWL (11 countries)

14%
State ownership
1% Private
Private ownership Forestin Europe
structure
13% Individuals / families mostly owned
according to % share in FOWL (11 countries)
Provincial ownership
5%
by Individuals/
Communal Ownership Families
Forest industries
85% 13%
5% Individuals / families
82% Private institutions
Forest industries
Public Forests
mostly owned Private institutions
by the State
82%

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Country Level Structure (b)
Belgium
0% Individuals / families

Forest industries

36% 37%
Private institutions

State ownership

Provincial ownership

Communal Ownership
0% 0%
12% 15% Other ownership

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Country Level Structure (c)
Poland
1% 0%
0% 16%
Individuals / families
0%

1% Forest industries

Private institutions

State ownership

Provincial ownership

Communal Ownership
82%
Other ownership

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Holding Structure
Share (%) of holdings < 6ha in total area of private holdings

100.0

80.0 73

60.0
41
40.0 33 32 29
24
19
20.0 9 6 5
1 1 0 0
0.0

ria
m

ia
ce

r ia
nd

ia
ia
ia

ay
ic

y
nd

ar
tv

ak
iu
en

an
l

do
an

ga
w
ub
la

us

g
La
g
la

ov
or
ov

om
Po

un
Fr
el

ul
p

A
er

in

N
Re

Sl
B
Sl

B
H

R
h

K
et
ch

d
N

te
ze

ni
C

Restitution/privation: often towards smallholding

... large variances on a country level
EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels
 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Socio-economic observations (a)
Relative share of age classes of private forest
owners (%)

100.0
80.0
> 60
60.0
30 to 60
40.0
20.0 < 30
0.0
e ia a y d ia d y a d a d
ium nc an ani gar lan en lan rwa atvi lan stri lan
elg ra thu m un Fin lov zer No L Ire Au Po
B F i o H S it
L R w
S

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

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

Socio-economic observations (b)
Field of occupation of individual owners (%)

100

80

60 Pensioner
Outside Agriculture/Forestry
40 Agriculture/Forestry, total

20

0
ia

nd
d

ia

y
ria

ce

nd
an

r
an

en

ga

la
an
st

la
nl

om

Ire
ov
Au

un
er
Fr
Fi

i tz
Sl
R

H
Sw

...often outside traditional agricultural / forestry sector

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Findings/Trends
Issue Findings

Restitution / Nearing completion in most countries,

Privatisation ongoing in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia
in CEEC Towards small holdings in some countries (PL, SL, CZ)

Large difference in number of national FAOs,

Holding
Association membership of international FOAs and
structure share of organized owners:
all in AT, almost all in FI, 1% in PL

Ownership
and Lower fellings in private forests despite often
increment/ higher increment rate
fellings

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 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

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 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)
EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels
 Overview

1. UNECE/FAO Private Forest Ownership Enquiry

1.1 Ownership Distribution
1.2 Socio-Economic Observations
1.3 Trends

2. Wood Availability and Mobilization

2.1 Energy Policies, Wood Demand and Availability
2.2 Wood Mobilization

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

 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

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels

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

Private Forest Ownership - Database & background

information:
www.unece.org/trade/timber/WA2.html
Franziska.Hirsch@unece.org, Tel: +41 22 917 24 80

Wood Availability and Mobilization:

www.unece.org/trade/timber/docs/tc-sessions/tc-65/policyforum/
Sebastian.Hetsch@unece.org, Tel.: +41 22 917 41 70

EUROFORENET Conference - 19 November 2007, Brussels