Consumers often feel guilty about buying wood products because they believe it is ethically unsound to cut down trees, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO is trying to overcome this negative perception in its annual report, "State of the World's Forests," that was unveiled recently in New York during the opening ceremony for the UN's International Year of Forests campaign.
FAO: Consumers Feel Guilty About Wood Products
Through the report and the new campaign, the FAO stresses that the forest industry forms an important part of a green economy, and that wood products have environmental attributes that should appeal to people. The group notes that wood is a natural material, and that wood products have a high potential for recycling.
The report details how the forestry industry is responding to numerous environmental and social concerns by improving sustainability of resource use, using more waste materials to make products, increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. In fact, the report says, 37 percent of total forest production in 2010 came from recovered paper, wood waste and non-wood fibers. FAO believes this figure is likely to grow to up to 45 percent in 2030, with much of that growth from manufacturers in China and India.
FAO will also stress the connection between local people and forest management. "What we need during the International Year of Forests is to emphasize the connection between people and forests, and the benefits that can accrue when forests are managed by local people in sustainable and innovative ways," said Eduardo Rojas, FAO's assistant director-general for forestry.
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