Government Report on Forest Policy 2050

Abstract

Strong strategic outlines are needed to develop the sustainable management of forests in order to allow even more diverse utilisation of Finland’s forest resources to enhance the welfare of the Finns. As set out in the Government Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has conducted a participatory process to prepare this Forest Policy Report, which outlines a long-term vision and strategic objectives for the management of forests and the main measures to be taken. Clear and prioritised outlines are needed because the forest-based business and activities in Finland are undergoing the greatest transitions for over a hundred years. As regards forest work the greatest transition took place in the 1960s–1980s, but now changes on the world market, diverse uses of forests and the pressures for changes these give rise to imply significant changes all through the value chain. Forest-based business and activities, utilisation of forests and the welfare derived from these are going to be increasingly diverse, which offers great opportunities for the sector. In this report the forest-based business and activities are understood very broadly: besides forestry and forest industry they also comprise the production, processing and services relating to the other tangible and intangible products of forests and public goods.

The vision of the Forest Policy Report, "Sustainable forest management is a source of growing welfare", stresses the diverse welfare derived from forests and the fact that the utilisation of forests offers solutions to the needs of the people and society.