The global forest products sector experienced a rebound in 2024 following a significant decline the year prior, as highlighted in a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO statistics encompass 77 product categories, 27 product groups, and data from over 245 countries and territories, detailing the latest trends in trade across key forest product groups.
Main Trends
Global trade in wood and paper products regained momentum, showing modest growth in most major product groups, per FAO.
- The recovery follows a 14 percent dip in wood and paper product trade in 2023.
- Industrial roundwood extractions, for non-energy purposes, rose by 2 percent in 2024, although global trade fell by 1 percent.
- Sawn timber production stayed largely consistent, with regional variations, and trade saw no significant change from 2023.
- Wood-based panels grew for the second consecutive year, with global production up by 5 percent.
- Wood pulp production increased by 3 percent to 189 million tonnes, and international trade rose by 2 percent to a record 73 million tonnes.
- Wood pellets have seen rapid growth, driven by bioenergy goals in Europe, South Korea, and Japan, with 2024 production returning to 48 million tonnes, matching 2022 levels after a slight drop in 2023.
Importance
Forests have diverse applications including housing, heating, and even medicine. FAO Director-General Dongyu Qu emphasized that forests sustain millions of livelihoods worldwide, offering increasing economic opportunities in various sectors, including sustainable timber production. Promoting sustainable forest use aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 15. Another FAO report indicates the net forest area loss has more than halved since the 1990s, with over 90 percent of forests regenerating naturally.
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