Over the past year, certified forest areas in Italy grew significantly by 8.3 percent to a total of more than 1.61 million hectares. This increase testifies to a growing commitment to the sustainable management of forest resources and a recognition of the economic and ecological value of certified forests.
However, despite the expansion of certified forest areas, Italy continues to show a low rate of wood utilization. Currently, only 24 percent of the annual volume increase is taken from our forests. This is significantly lower than the European average, where wood harvesting reaches 54 percent of the annual increment.
The untapped potential of Italian forests suggests that there is still ample opportunity to increase wood utilization through responsible and sustainable practices. Promoting more active management of forest resources could lead to numerous benefits, not only in terms of timber availability, but also with regard to job creation and stimulation of rural economies.
This topic was the focus of discussions during a recent conference held in Caselle, Turin, organized by Conlegno. During the event, industry experts stressed the need to increase and improve the use of domestically sourced wood as an ecological and sustainable response to current environmental and economic challenges.
Conlegno, the promoting consortium, has been dedicated to the protection and promotion of biodiversity and forestry heritage in Italy for 25 years. Their work is instrumental in raising awareness and providing useful tools for sustainable forest management through forest certification.
Certification is seen as a crucial tool for ensuring sustainable management of Italy's forests. It helps promote responsible use of wood, ensuring that the resource is managed in a way that maintains its productivity and biodiversity over the long term.
The growing certified forest area represents a significant step toward the adoption of sustainable practices in natural resource management. Beyond ensuring environmental sustainability, certification also has important economic benefits. Transparency and credibility offered by certificates can facilitate the access of Italian forest products to international markets, which increasingly demand guarantees of sustainability.
The path undertaken by Conlegno and other leading bodies in the sector will continue with a series of meetings planned in Ponte di Legno, Schio and Turin. These events will continue to discuss best practices in forest management and strategies to increase the sustainable use of wood resources.
Italy has a forest heritage of nearly 12 million hectares, indicating great potential for growth and sustainable development. Forests are a crucial resource, not only for timber production, but also for biodiversity conservation, soil protection and climate regulation. Making full use of these resources in a sustainable way is critical to ensuring that they continue to provide benefits for future generations.
