Seminar: Forest Products and Technologies for the Future

The Russian Federal Forestry Agency and the ECE-FAO Forestry and Timber Section are pleased to announce the organization of the seminar  on ‘Forest Products and Technologies for the Future’ to be held at the Saint Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers from 22 to 24 May 2013.

Russia has more than a fifth of the world's forests, which makes it the largest forest country in the world. However, the considerable potential of Russian forests is underutilized and Russia's share of the global trade in forest products is less than four percent.

The FAO Russian Forest Sector Outlook Study estimates that if the investment flow in the forest sector increases by five times from its current level of approximately $2 billion to about $10 billion per year, roundwood production in the Russian Federation will double by 2030 from 143 million m3 in 2010 to over 300 million m3. Under such favorable conditions, pulp and paper production should grow by 2030 from 7.7 million tons in 2010 to 25.5 million tons, the report says. Wood biomass for energy use in Russia will double, increasing from 32 million m3 to 75 million m3. The national market is envisaged to be the prime consumer with limited export only foreseen for pellets and originating from those regions with the necessary transportation and economic conditions. To achieve this vision, sound forest management practices as well as strong and balanced efforts are needed to create a stable investment environment and allow commercialization of new technologies, efficiency improvements and further cost reductions along the whole supply chain.

The workshop will look at the key technologies that can define the modernization of the Russian forest sector to maximize its potential as a global mitigator of climate change and an important source of timber in response to the growing demand for sustainable forest bioenergy.

The workshop is structured over two days followed by a field trip. Day 1 shall consist of presentations on forestry issues in the ECE region and Russia with a focus on bioenergy. Invited experts from international organizations, the public sector, research and academia will  deliver an international perspective on various topics. The local perspective would be presented by a Russian counterpart. The second day shall consist of 3 to 4 interactive roundtables allowing each participant to contribute to all thematic sessions. Each group will be assigned a designated topic for discussion.