Economic performance of forestry operations
The indicator provides information about the economic situation of public forestry operations. In this regard, securing the economic aspect of sustainability is a key condition for all the indispensable services that are provided by effective and efficient forest management and benefit society, the environment and the economy. To that end, the Confederation provides data on the structure, profitability and natural production bases. These data are not collected in small public and private forests.
poor
negative
The economic situation of Swiss forest management is difficult, as forestry operations have yielded negative results for several years. Although the economic situation of forestry companies has improved in recent years thanks to better timber prices, the current system is only able to finance its goals (e.g. operational performance, services, productive employees, etc.) and socio-economic (e.g. protection against natural hazards, biodiversity, etc.) and private-sector (e.g. wood production) services to a limited degree in the long term. Through forestry sector measures and federal support in the context of national fiscal equalisation, efforts are being made to reduce costs (e.g. use of more rational working methods and cooperation between owners) and develop potential income sources (e.g. enhancement of forest services). However, the positive effect of measures to increase forestry sector performance can only be achieved gradually in the current economic conditions.
Varying definitions make comparability difficult.
Data are fully collected on the basis of approximately 3,000 surveys.
Public forestry operations with an area of over 50 ha were included in the forestry statistics until 2014.
In 2015, a change was made in the method: A forestry operation is now defined as an individual forest owner or an association of several forest owners who manage their areas together. The size of the forest area plays a decisive role in this. Units with the following minimum areas are considered forestry operations: Jura 200 ha; Central Plateau 150 ha; Pre-Alps 250 ha; Alps-Southern Alps 500 ha.
| Targeted trend | Initial value | Final value | Variation in % | Observed trend | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | Average 2015-2017 | Average 2021-2023 | -59.09% | Decrease | negative |
| Basis: Economic performance of forestry operations (calculation method from 2015) | |||||
Further information
