Infodoc : Sciences, Techniques et Culture

Given the extent of French forests and of the wood-processing industries in France, management of the interfaces between society, forest and industry is all-important. The management of these interfaces and the difficulties involved are first described. A new management plan for these interfaces devised by the French government is then presented. The draft for regulating the forest-based economy looks at the economic relationships between forestry, industry and government players. This plan would imply vigorous state intervention at the primary wood processing stage aimed at modernisation, sustainability through diversification, integration with secondary manufacturing as well as broadening sources of timber supply. It would strive to diversify and intensify the channels for selling w[...]

Given the extent of French forests and of the wood-processing industries in France, management of the interfaces between society, forest and industry is all-important. The management of these interfaces and the difficulties involved are first described. A new management plan for these interfaces devised by the French government is then presented. The draft for regulating the forest-based economy looks at the economic relationships between forestry, industry and government players. This plan would imply vigorous state intervention at the primary wood processing stage aimed at modernisation, sustainability through diversification, integration with secondary manufacturing as well as broadening sources of timber supply. It would strive to diversify and intensify the channels for selling wood to the wood products industry. This aggressive economic interventionism might however be carried out without previously or concomitantly setting up the specific conditions that enable small and medium-sized forested properties of less than 25 ha to develop, unless a separate scheme for regulating the development of private forests is also established.
Devant l’importance de la forêt française et des secteurs de la transformation des bois en France, la gestion des interfaces société-forêt-industrie du bois est essentielle. Après avoir décrit cette gestion et précisé ses difficultés, un nouveau projet de gestion de ces interfaces, issu du Gouvernement français, est présenté. Ce projet de régulation en économie forestière s’intéresse aux rapports économiques entre les acteurs forestiers ou industriels et les acteurs publics. Ce projet engagerait l’État sur un vigoureux interventionnisme industriel en première transformation des bois, en s’intéressant à sa modernisation, à sa pérennisation par sa diversification, son intégration vers la seconde transformation mais aussi à l’extension de son approvisionnement en bois. Il chercherait à diversifier et intensifier les modes de vente des bois aux industriels du bois. Cet interventionnisme économique offensif pourrait cependant se dérouler sans avoir auparavant ou parallèlement assuré les conditions d’un développement spécifique des petites et moyennes propriétés forestières de moins de 25 ha, à moins que d’autres conditions de régulation du développement de la forêt privée ne soient aussi mises en place.