Wood is becoming a more and more important raw material strategically. The forest industry’s products are manufactured from wood, a renewable raw material, and they can be recycled many times and finally burned to generate bioenergy at the end of their lifecycle.

Families own a major share of the forests of Finland

Two thirds of the wood raw material consumed by the forest industry is sourced from private forests. One Finnish family in five owns forest and benefits from forest sales incomes. Nearly 150 000 timber transactions are concluded annually. Private individuals own 370 000 forest estates. This is equal to about 61 per cent of the woodlands in Finland. 

The State owns 25 per cent of the woodlands in Finland. For the most part, State-owned lands are located in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Some 10 per cent of the woodlands in Finland are owned by forest industry. Other owner groups include municipalities, congregations and groups of individuals.

Finnish forest resources are growing continuously

Finnish forests are growing by almost 100 million cubic metres each year, of which some 55 million cubic metres is harvested for industrial use. 

According to calculations, the wood reserves of our forests are larger today than they have ever been since the beginning of the 19th century. Each year, forest growth exceeds the sum of felling and natural reduction; this means that forests as well as the volume of timber are growing constantly.

In addition to the Forest Act and Nature Conservation Act, Finnish forestry is guided by a long-term action plan called the National Forest Programme. The main point in the Programme is to develop forests as a totality that takes into account the principles of economic, social and ecological sustainability.

Timber import is needed to keep the wheels in motion

Although domestic forest reserves are growing, the industry requires more timber than comes into the market in Finland. Therefore the industry also procures roundwood abroad. Annually 20 - 25 % of the wood raw material consumed by the industry is sourced from abroad mostly from Russia and the Baltic States.