ITTO modelling examines recovery timeframe in tropical timber sector
5 November 2020, Yokohama, Japan
A woodflooring factory stocked with tropical timber in Huzhou, China. Photo: R. Carrillo/ITTO
Production in the tropical timber sector, which has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to recover to pre-crisis volumes by 2026, according to the preliminary findings of an ITTO-commissioned study. Latin America has been most affected by the crisis, according to the report, followed by Southeast Asia.
ITTO undertakes a wide range of work on incentives to promote sustainable forest management in tropical countries. Recently, this has included the development of a model for forecasting trends in tropical timber supply and demand with a view to predicting regional surpluses and deficits of timber supply that incentives might help address. The model has now been used to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tropical timber supply and trade and to estimate the likely time required for the sector to recover to pre-pandemic levels. The full report of the study will be available in 2021.
For further details, please contact: Steve Johnson
Director of Trade and Industry
E-mail: johnson@itto.int
Download the synopsis