The European Commission has launched a new Focus Group to examine how more biomass can be extracted from existing forests in a sustainable manner. The group met in Finland last week to kick-off their work.

Forest biomass comprises thinnings, tree tops and other brash which is not part of the main tree crop.

Across Europe, there is huge variation in the average size of private forests. They range from hundreds of hectares, mostly in Scandinavia, to less than two hectares, mostly in southern Europe around the Mediterranean. A recognised issue is the need to bring together smaller forest owners to make management, processing, and selling easier for them and their buyers.

Therefore, one of the big questions for the Focus Group is how such owners, including farmers, can be encouraged to work together to ensure better prices for their trees and more continuity of supply for processors.

Producer groups

The workshop discussed how parallels exist here with producer groups found in beef and lamb production. One option being explored is how similar groups could be formed for forest owners, with a particular emphasis on biomass production.

A number of factors gave rise to the Focus Group. One is the untapped potential of standing forests where such biomass is often left on the group when felling occurs. Another is the new markets now opening up for biomass, the main one being the energy sector.

During the workshop, Focus Group members heard how municipalities, or local councils, in Finland have become self-sufficient in terms of energy production. Forest owners in the locality sell their biomass to a purposely built power plant, which in turn burns the biomass and produces heat and electricity for villages and towns in the area.

Such a system means all benefits are kept in the region. Forest owners have a new local market, households have cheaper energy, and additional jobs are created.

Sustainability

The key to this process is that it has long-term sustainability at its core. Extracting too much biomass would have a negative effect on the biodiversity of the forest as well as soil nutrition levels. Extracting too little means it’s not financially worthwhile for the forest owner. Neither will the industry be able to develop new markets without sufficient supply.

The Focus Group will operate until early 2017 and will consider sustainability and related issues through a number of discussions and position papers.

Other topics include consumer sentiment towards biomass, developing new markets, and increasing communication across the production chain. The group will also examine technical issues such as harvesting techniques and IT tools to support forest owners, as well as how to help these owners come together and share best practices.

Farmer Writes columnist Kieran Sullivan is a member of the ‘Sustainable Mobilisation of Forest Biomass’ Focus Group

Read more from Kieran here.