Forestry biomass production within a sustainable and circular bioeconomy
Brief me
- Forestry has a central role among the biomass producing sectors, providing valuable sources for the EU bioeconomy.
- Forests in the EU cover one third of the land area and they have been expanding for the past 20 years.
- They provide many services to society, such as helping mitigate climate change, supporting biodiversity, regulating water, offering recreation areas and supplying wood.
- On average 281 Mt of wood are harvested in the EU each year, corresponding to 63% of the new wood grown.
- Sustainable wood production implies balancing harvesting with the full range of forest ecosystem services.
- Monitoring EU forests is key to ensuring their balanced management: the European Commission is working with Member States to harmonise data and make statistics comparable across the EU.
Find out more in the brief and explore further other resources!
Brief on forestry biomass production
Explore further
Wood resource balances of European Union and Member States
Discover uses and sources of woody biomass at EU and Member State's scale (2009-2017 data).
Sankey diagrams of woody biomass flows in the European Union
Browse the Sankey diagrams and visualise the woody biomass flows within the forest-based sector in the European Union (2009-2017 data).
The State of the World’s Forests
The biennial report carries extensive data on global forest resources and on humans’ interaction with them, while outlining strategies for reducing deforestation.
Biomass Flows
Explore the supply and use of agricultural, forestry and fisheries biomass in the EU.
Forest Information System for Europe (FISE)
Access the first common database on the state, health and sustainability of Europe’s forests and share information with the forest community.
Forest Resources and Carbon Emissions (IFORCE)
Discover the methods and assessments developed to benchmark the monitoring of forest resources and carbon emissions.
Latest knowledge
Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated
Tropical forest degradation from selective logging, fire and edge effects is a major driver of carbon and biodiversity loss1–3, with annual rates comparable to those of deforestation4. However, its...
The State of the World’s Forests
The biennial report carries extensive data on global forest resources and on humans’ interaction with them, while outlining strategies for reducing deforestation.