Global Outlook Studies
At the global level, FAO has produced two studies that examine possible future developments in the forestry sector. The Global Forest Products Outlook Study focuses largely on trends in the production of forest products, while the Global Fibre Supply Model examines trends in the management of forest resources and the potential production of roundwood. The outputs of both of these complementary studies are used in other major pieces of work, such as the State of the Worlds Forests publications and international discussions on forestry issues.
Global Forest Products Outlook Study (GFPOS): The Global Forest Products Outlook Study is the fifth in the series of FAO's global supply and demand studies which have been produced approximately every five years since 1982. The study attempts to go beyond the scope of previous outlook studies, by presenting much more interpretation of the future supply and demand forecasts from the point of view of forestry policy development and forest management. Thus, it attempts to go beyond answering the simple question of how much wood will be needed in the future, to cover issues such as where the wood will come from, who will produce it and how it will be produced and utilised. This, inevitably, leads to questions about how forestry policies and institutions should be shaped in the future and the study attempts to answer some of these questions.
Global Fibre Supply Model (GFSM): The Global Fibre Supply Model was initiated in late 1995. Along with a simple forecasting model, the study includes a compilation of the most recent forest inventory statistics as well as recovered and non-wood fibre data. In general tems, the study contributes to forest policy development by highlighting and underscoring the pressing need for reliable data, information and analysis on industrial fibre sources and their utilization, which will in turn support "efforts" to achieve sustainable forest management.