Since its inception nearly 15 years ago, environmental certification has become an important issue in the wood products industry. One research question that has been examined is the potential ...willingness for supply chain participants to pay a premium for certified products or raw materials to offset certification costs. This study examines stated willingness to pay for four wood products from the perspective of U.S. consumers. Data was collected in 1995 and 2005 from the population of U.S. residential consumers to detect changes in willingness to pay for certified wood products along time and increase the statistical strength of the model. Results of an ordered probit model suggest that higher probabilities of paying a premium are associated to consumers who seek out certified products and who believe certification can lessen environmental impacts such as tropical deforestation. There is also a strong relationship between respondent income and willingness-to-pay. Despite the current industry structure in the U.S. that has adopted a mass-certification strategy that does not place price premiums on certified products, results suggest that such premiums may exist for imported certified tropical wood products. Analysis of marginal effects suggests consumers' willingness to pay a 10% premium for three of the four certified items studied. Niche markets may potentially be exploited in the U.S. and price premiums captured by wood products manufacturers in tropical regions and/or American importers.
Abstract
The Moratuwa Woodworking Industry Cluster (MWIC) is a geographically concentrated cluster of over 1,600 small-to-medium scale wood-based manufacturing and retail facilities in Sri Lanka. ...Firms include furniture manufacturers, carpentry shops, sawmills, and integrated sawmills. The concept of industrial symbiosis explores the synergies between industrial facilities to exchange energy, water, by-products, and waste to achieve a higher efficiency in resource utilization. This research was undertaken to address the lack of quantitative information on wood residues generated within the MWIC. A survey of 180 primary and secondary wood product manufacturers was undertaken to quantify MWIC firm by-product production and consumption of wood residues to establish a baseline for possible end use and waste synergies. The total population of enterprises generating wood waste is 730; retail facilities are not included. Sawmills produce approximately 66% of the 6,490 MT of MWIC's monthly wood residue generation, with the balance produced by carpentry and integrated enterprises. Teak (Tectona grandis) and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) are the dominant species used in the MWIC, accounting for most of the wood waste. Three main types of wood waste were identified in the survey: sawdust (76.5%), boards with significant wane (16.5%) unusable for further products, and offcuts (6.9%). Only 55% of the wood waste generated in MWIC is currently used; the remaining 45% is taken to landfills or disposed of in other ways, such as discarded in waterways or other nonapproved locations. Improved wood waste sorting by type at the mill level and aggregated wood waste within the MWIC was determined to increase the usability of wood waste as potential inputs in other wood manufacturing sectors in the MWIC.
•Architect perceptions of engineered wood products in Europe countries were studied.•A positive perception regarding the use of wood in general in all countries.•A lack of knowledge of principles of ...design options with EWPs.•The internet is the leading source of information used by architects.•There is a need for more technical information to understand the potential of EWPs.
The wood industries in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) and Macedonia have a long tradition of producing a wide range of products. BiH and Macedonia have similar forest sectors and both countries have experienced similar problems in the manufacturing, sale and use of wood-based products in recent years due to the global financial crisis and resulting national economic challenges. Despite having a long and prosperous history, over the past two decades, the wood products sectors in these four countries have faced a steady decline in profitability, the ability to add value through downstream manufacturing, and overall competitiveness.
Engineered wood products (EWPs) are structural building materials that have been used since the early 1980s as replacements for, or in conjunction with, concrete and steel. In this study, we compare architect attitudes, awareness and preferences regarding the use of EWPs between these four countries. The study is based on a sample of 373 architects using on-line surveys. Results suggest that there is a positive perception regarding the use of wood in general in all countries, with the majority of respondents believing that wood use will increase in the future. However, specific to EWPs, differences were found in familiarity and knowledge of potential applications in timber-based construction. Results provide indicators of knowledge gaps between respondents and, conversely, where awareness and willingness to use EWPs exist. These findings can have implications for market opportunities, identifying barriers to EWPs adoption, and content for workshops, seminars, and other outreach mechanisms for architects.
There is a widespread global shift toward renewable energy sources, where the emphasis is on enhancing the utilization of renewable energy due to the rising costs associated with fossil fuels. In ...this light, biomass pellets made from woody and non-woody biomass and blends have gained increased attention. Extensive research has been conducted globally to enhance the quality of biomass pellets and to explore the potential to combine woody biomass with other non-woody forms of biomass in biomass pellet production. The heterogeneity of the raw materials used and resulting properties of the biomass pellets have led to the establishment of internationally recognized benchmarks such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17225 standard to regulate pellet quality. In this article, the key mechanical, physical, chemical, and energy properties of pellets made of different non-woody herbaceous biomass are investigated, and the available test values for such properties of the pellets were meta-analyzed. A comparison of the properties of these pellets with the relevant standards was also performed. A meta-analysis of studies on biomass pellet production was conducted via a comprehensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The SLR focuses on determining and analyzing the average values for the key physical properties of biomass pellets using woody biomass as a component in concert with other biomass materials. In addition, the optimal range of mixtures of woody and non-woody biomass was reviewed to produce biomass pellets with potential acceptance in the marketplace. The majority of studies included in the SLR concentrate on pellets made from a mixture of biomass materials. The results show that the average values for wood/non-wood mixtures such as pellet diameter, pellet length, moisture content, ash content, fine particle content, gross calorific value, and bulk density were found to adhere to the ISO standards. However, the average mechanical durability fell short of meeting the requirements of the standards. Additional comparisons were nitrogen, sulfur, volatile matter, and fixed carbon content. The findings in this meta-analysis could be useful in directing future research focused on producing high-quality and efficient biomass pellets derived from biomass blends and mixtures.
Public forests are government owned and are managed to provide goods and services such as water from natural forests and commercial and subsistence requirements of wood products from plantations. ...Because of an increased demand of environmental benefits, management of natural forests on government lands does not include production of wood-this takes place only on plantations. ...high population growth and poorly planned settlements in these areas present the greatest threat to the conservation of natural forest resources. Commercial growers of Eucalyptus trees also target the supply of transmission poles as their primary market, with thinnings and other secondary products serving as building poles and wood-fuel products. Besides Eucalyptus, other exotic species grown by private investors for sawn timber include Cypressus lusitanica, Pinus patula, and Grevillea robusta. ...increasing population pressure and associated demand for agricultural land and wood products poses a great challenge to the forestry sector in Kenya.
There are discussions and debates surrounding forest certification in developing countries. In this study, we surveyed 50 forest-based companies in Sri Lanka (43 wood-based manufacturers and 7 ...plantation companies) to ascertain their participation in forest certification, current and future forest certification trends, as well as their satisfaction with the performance of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification in its economic, environmental, and social aspects, using an importance–performance analysis (IPA). Study results indicate that certified companies typically focus on exports and supplying raw materials for value-added exporters. The customer demand/signaling mechanism appears to be the primary driver of FSC certification in Sri Lanka. Forest certification was found to be helpful for companies to access new markets, keep market share, and sell products in existing markets. Results further indicate that price premiums for FSC-certified products exist, though they may not always be significant. However, certification positively influences sales volume and reduces business risks via securing continuous orders from the buyers. The IPA results further indicate that FSC certification has substantially improved company images by positioning certified companies as socially responsible businesses, while helping to create better business stakeholder relationships. FSC certification was found to have weak links in improving on-the-ground environmental performances of certified companies. Study findings have implications for the FSC certification scheme and independent certifiers, enabling them to identify the areas of FSC certification with significant performance gaps.
The Global Forest Sector Eric Hansen, Rajat Panwar, Richard Vlosky / Eric Hansen, Rajat Panwar, Richard Vlosky
2013, 2014, 2013-12-04
eBook
Changes in production, demand, supply, and trade patterns; the impact of green building and bioenergy on industry practices and policy infrastructure; and new economies with production advantages and ...large consumption bases all present challenges and opportunities in the forest sector. With contributions from leading experts in academia and profess
The value of aggregate forest product exports to India has increased from about $1.5 billion in 2003 to about $5.4 billion in 2013. Although many of the forest product resources can be sourced from ...within India, the subcontinent must also source forest products from trading partners, in the form of wood product exports. This presents many economic challenges and opportunities for wood product markets and trade, as India is the second-largest importer of wood products in the world. In this study, we focus on the effect of regulatory quality on forest products exports by partner countries to India. Using a panel of trade flows during 2009 through 2013 of 143 partner countries exporting forest products to India, we estimate an augmented gravity trade model to capture the effect of relevant variables on the outflow of aggregate forest products and disaggregate paper and paperboard, wood pulp, fiberboard, veneers, sawn wood, industrial roundwood, and plywood products from partner countries to India. Results from the analysis are mixed; regulatory quality is found to have positive correlation with exports to India in some cases (paper and paperboard products and wood pulps) and no correlation in a few instances (fiberboard, veneer sheets, sawn wood, industrial roundwood, and plywood). Other explanatory variables such as the distance between the partner country and India, forest area of partner country relative to forest area of India, gross domestic product, population, and trade agreements are mostly found to have positive or negative significant effects on trade, varying across different sectors.
•Coastal wetlands in Asia are threatened by invasive Prosopis juliflora.•Fuel Value index of P. julilfora is better than or equivalent to the conventional fuelwood species.•Biomass to ash ratio of P. ...juliflora is comparably lower.•P. juliflora individuals with diameter greater than 10 cm at breast height are ideal as fuelwood.•P. juliflora wood reach the Fiber Saturation Point in 24 days of sun-drying.
Prosopis juliflora is an invasive plant species rapidly expanding in the Asian and African continents. The invasion of P. juliflora in Bundala Ramsar Wetland (BRW) in Sri Lanka has created several biodiversity conservation issues. This study was conducted to assess the possibility of utilizing invasive P. juliflora as an alternative energy source. P. juliflora performed better than L. leucocephala for most evaluated fuelwood properties. Ash content was comparatively higher in P. juliflora than L. leucocephala. However, biomass to ash ratio of P. juliflora was significantly lower (<0.05) and the Fuel Value Index (FVI) of P. juliflora (3,276) was slightly lower than that of L. leucocephala (3,336), a non-significant difference. P. juliflora and L. leucocephala reached Fiber Saturation Point within 24 and 27 days of drying, respectively. Results show that 1 kg of P. juliflora would produce an estimated energy equivalent to 0.5 L of diesel and furnace oil and 5 kWh of electricity. As such, we recommend further study on harvesting and commercialization of P. juliflora as a potential wood energy source.
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