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tized rural livelihoods in its vision for ‘The Forest Kingdom’ policy
programme (see below). Such livelihoods can become more diversified
and for example, build on wilderness tourism or adventure-oriented
recreation. Furthermore, research into the relationship between
forests and public health has received more attention recently.
One of the biggest challenges for forests and forestry in Sweden
is of a policy nature. Firstly, we can see that in spite of the fact
that more and more political attention is given to sustainable and
renewable products, there is no level playing field for forest products
compared to their non-renewable counterparts such as concrete,
steel, plastic and oil. This is exemplified by the different sets of
sustainability and legality criteria forest products have to fulfil.
Secondly, the international governance regime puts further
challenges to the development of holistic national forest policies.
For example, in an EU Member State such as Sweden, forests are
increasingly regulated by a complex of direct and indirect legislation
stemming from a wide range of related policy fields such as environ-
ment, climate change, energy and trade. Although forest policy is a
matter of national competence for EU Member States, the national
room for manoeuvre is becoming smaller.
The main reason why forest policy has remained a national compe-
tence has to do with the large differences across Europe when it
comes to forest ecosystems, biogeography, forestry practices, forest
industries and societal demands. A hollowing-out of national flex-
ibility could have a negative effect in terms of pursuing sustainable
forest management. Successful forest policy needs to acknowledge
the scale factor considering local, regional and national perspectives
and beyond. Noteworthy, in an international policy-development
context, a transition to a greener economy and the rising different
demands on various forest functions calls for substantive cross-
sectoral cooperation and commitment to greater policy coherence
at different governance levels.
Forest Kingdom
Sweden is a country largely defined by its forests. The Government
sees great potential in forests and has thus created the vision of ‘A
Forest Kingdom – with values for the world’. The aim is to create
conditions for new jobs related to Sweden’s forests and, in so doing,
help economic development in the countryside and in small towns
and villages. The vision is based on the sustainable use of forests and
the coequal objectives of environment and production, which form
the foundation of Sweden’s forest policy.
The Forest Kingdom vision is built upon around a number of
specially selected branches, which form the basis of the work.
These are: 1. Sustainable use of forests; 2. Processing
and innovation; 3. Experiences and recreation; and 4.
Sweden in the world. These four branches are presented
in the Forest Kingdom Action Plan, which is the result
of contributions from a large number of people, stake-
holders, interest organizations and companies involved
with forests all over Sweden.
Fundamental for the Forest Kingdom vision is the
sustainable use of forests. Conditions for increased
production should be facilitated but it should be in
balance with nature’s capacity to provide goods and
services. The above-mentioned coequal forest policy
objectives of the environment and production are a
central theme. Important areas to develop include
mitigation of climate change, renewable materials,
ecosystem services, game management and more.
Gender equality in the sector is also addressed.
Processing and innovation focuses on new perspec-
tives on how to use the forest. The forest biomass can
be used more efficiently, acknowledging the whole life
cycle. Sweden has a strong position in a range of forest-
derived products such as renewable energy, textiles,
packaging materials and composite materials. However,
there are considerable opportunities for further devel-
opments in these areas as well as green energy and
new technology. The usage of wood for construction is
increasing, which is in line with the will to use climate-
sensible building materials.
One part of the Forest Kingdom vision is to broaden
the scope of forest experiences and activities. Forest
plays an important role for Swedes in the large variety
of outdoor activities they carry out. Most Swedes spend
time in forests occasionally, or on a regular basis.
Sweden is also a popular tourist destination, with many
visitors from abroad looking for the unique experiences
that Swedish forests can provide.
Forest is important for Sweden and its inhabit-
ants but Sweden is also part of a global context. The
Swedish forestry model, ‘freedom with responsibility’,
has attracted attention in various international forums.
Swedish forestry expertise can be of benefit to the rest of
the world, for example by active participation in inter-
national forest policy forums and by exporting technical
know-how as well as products.
Image: Marcus Öhman
Facts about Sweden
Population
: 9.4 million
Land area
: 41 million hectares
Forest area
: 28.6 million hectares (70 per cent)
Annual increment
: 96 million cubic metres
Annual fellings
: 81 million cubic metres
Public forests
: 27 per cent
Private forests
: 73 per cent
Production of pulp
: 11.9 million tons, 28 per cent exported
Production of paper
: 11.4 million tons, 92 per cent
exported
Production of sawn wood
: 17.0 million cubic metres,
67 per cent exported
Export value of forest products
: US$20 billion in 2010