Eriksson O FEMC2007

National/Regional Wood Supply Issues in Sweden

Ola Eriksson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Resource Management, Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden, Ola.Eriksson@resgeom.slu.se

Swedish forestry is at the cross road. We can look back at a long period of successful forest management to meet the demands of different stakeholders. Margins are now narrowing down. One development is increased industrial demand. This has partly been balanced by imports, a measure that appears less and less viable. For more than a decade commercial land has been transferred into protected areas. Another long term development is increased use of bioenergy, something that more and more interferes with traditional forest industry. The recent decision by the EU Ministerial conference on compulsory targets for the transformation of the energy system of Europe implicitly assumes that forests will increasingly be relied on for mitigating climate change.

What is a likely scenario, or what can then be done? Restructuring the industrial capacity is probably less of an attractive alternative than in previous periods of “over consumption”. Industry will combat further protection of commercial lands, and can take refuge behind the climate change issue. This is not entirely in compliance with government objectives, stating that close to another 5 percent of the forest land should be set aside. One strategy to pursue is to increase production with various methods - such as fertilisation, better genetic material, intensified stand establishment - and discount the effects with an allowable cut effect. One of the more intriguing aspects of this equation is the gains in yield that are expected to come from climate change. Another option is to radically change the model for nature conservation, going from general to specific area considerations. In conclusion, seldom before have the opportunities and challenges been greater than currently.