A new report developed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Forest Institute (EPI), on forest products in the global bioeconomy, was launched today (March 21), to mark International Day of Forests.

The publication which is entitled Forest products in the global bioeconomy, outlines how forests and their products are key in solving many global challenges, including the climate crisis and poverty.

Innovations around wood-based products that can decrease environmental impact and waste generation are outlined in the report.

It also cites a number of recommendations for governments and the private sector to enable the substitution of products which are not socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

According to the FAO, 75% of global material consumption is based on non-renewable resources, however, wood-based products can often offer a more sustainable alternative.

As well as storing carbon, forest products reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the materials they substitute for, which include concrete, steel, plastic and synthetic fibres.

International Day of Forests

The theme for International Day of Forests 2022 is ‘Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption’. In celebration of this, the FAO adopted the slogan ‘Choose Sustainable Wood for People and Planet’.

According to the FAO, their chosen slogan highlights how forests can play a vital role in achieving a number of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals, including ‘responsible production and consumption’, ‘climate change’ and ‘life on land’.

A celebration of the day took place at EXPO 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates today, where director general of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, outlined the value forests play in our society.

He said that not only do forests provide invaluable resources such as clean water and air, timber, fuel and food, but the forestry sector also employs more than 33 million people around the world.

“However, the global area of forests has been shrinking in the last decades, today, only 25% percent of total material demand is met by biomass, including wood, the remainder by non-renewable resources,” Dongyu said.

As a symbol to mark the day, the FAO, the Appia Antica Archaeological Park and other partner institutions planted 40 new trees donated by the Lazio Region, at the G20 Green Garden in Rome.

The FAO said the event was conceived in an aim to connect citizens, raise awareness and encourage people to take action for a more sustainable world.