Nationell

The flow of data between the partners of forestry and the timber industry is an unpredictable obstacle in terms of time in the supply chain. Still today, lists of wood and factory dimension protocols are passed along analogically on paper. Regional individual solutions for digital data transfer exist, but they are expensive compared to the sold number of products.
ELDAT is publicly available and updated by the Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. since 2002.

Digitalization process with optimizing interfaces still in process.

ELDAT is the first national standard, which enables a consistent communication between all involved partners of the process chain. It enables the transfer of single timber data (formerly the list of wood) as well as the transmission of process defining information such as e.g. contract, billing or delivery data in shortest time and therefore is an important part in the supply-chain-management.

On the state and cluster level there have been established different portals for private forest owners, to show them the opportunity to contact the local foresters and inform themselves about forest management and all questions to do with forest ownership.
The portals are an approach to reach out to forest owners without professional expertise and any relations to forestry by offering them an easily accessible channel for information.

It is important not just to show the addresses of your personal available state forester and forest owner association but also to include entrepreneurs and other actors in the forest business.

Forest owner portals are an innovative and effective way especially to address the “new forest owners”.

In KomSilva, tools for a goal-oriented and efficient discourse with forest owners are being developed. Target groups are stakeholders and organizations who activate and address forest owners. Mostly forestry associations should profit from the project, but also service providers and other stakeholders. Communication with forest owners is a key asset towards mobilization. Existing instruments are being adjusted and new tools like online-training, online-consulting concepts and social media strategies for consulting and communication are being created and already successfully tested.

Existing instruments for approaching forest owners and communicate with them are being investigated and evaluated according to their effectiveness. Thereby, a collaborative approach is being pursued. It comprises an advisory committee with experts from practice and an active involvement via interviews, a large-scale online-survey and workshops. Experiences in activating forest owners and in public relations are being collected and practicable factors of success are being identified. Arguments for the activation of forest owners are being developed to sensitize forestry associations also for the new task fields.

A “machinery ring” describes an association where farmers support each other by offering machinery and services in forestry and agriculture:
The “machinery ring” is a community that exchanges experiences, shares machines and supports in emergency situations.
it’s essentially based on community and innovation
The „machinery ring“ is a Germany-wide organisation; membership is completed in the members’ local machinery ring (place of living)
The focus is on a member organization and the sustainable benefits for the associated companies

The “machinery ring” successfully offer their members:
reduced production costs attractive employment and additional income opportunities
enhanced working conditions (for example outsourcing of work chains, support of employees during peak periods)
allowances in emergency situations (damages, etc.)
expert consultancy, wide range of services, mediation contracts

The “machinery rings” are the first consulting partners in management and field work organization
The local organizations provide individual personnel, services and technology
The cost-effective shared use of modern technology / machinery in forestry and agriculture, employment models for members and organization of value chains especially in rural areas are the main building blocks
In Germany there are about 240 local machinery ring organizations that represent about 192.000 agricultural farms
Roof organization is the “Bundesverband der Maschinenringe e.V.“ with it’s subsidiary „Maschinenring Deutschland GmbH“

Many forestry associations offer so called “forest management contracts”. Together with the forester of the regarding forestry association forest owners can regularly plan the necessary silvicultural actions.

This is an interesting approach especially for old forest owners who can´t any more take care. Furthermore it is an opportunity also for the new forest owner generation with high percentage living far away from the estate.

The state forester is looking after all actions after the forest owner’s decisions and after the accounting (income and expenses). Costs for a forestry management contract depend on the services agreed on in the contract.

In the program “rural area” 2007 until 2013 followiing weaknesses were found in NRW:
High share of small scale private forests
Associations to reduce structural disadvantages often too small
Unfavorable age class proportion of the forests due to historical reasons
Logging potential is not being used
Therefore following measures were implemented:
Increase of the value added in forestry products (ELER-Code 123-B)
Forestal road construction (ELER-Code 125-B)
Natura 2000 – Forest (ELER-Code 224)
Forest restructuring (ELER-Code 227)
Soil liming (ELER-Code 227)
Environmental protection (ELER-Code 227)

The funding in general was suitable to support reaching the goals. But due to the small amount of funding the effect of the projects on the state NRW was limited. So future funding should concentrate more on finding solutions for problems caused by the small-scale structure of the forests and on finding more sales opportunities.

ELER-Code 123-B:
Number of jobs could be increased, but the goals could not be reached (40 more jobs, goal: 100 more jobs)
Gross value added was higher than before the project
ELER-Code 125-B:
Amount of harvested wood could be increased from 356.000 m³ to 536.000 m³ due to road construction and costs for logging & logging distance could be decreased
ELER-Code 227:
Long-term improvement of the biodiversity in the forests due to restructuring can be expected
Slightly positive effect on biodiversity through soil liming can be expected (increases stability of the forests)
ELER-Code 224:
As part of the Natura 2000 funding, the following requirements had to be fulfilled: Support of habitat-typical rejuvenescence

The ForestManager is an app that serves as a reminder in the management of forestland. Green areas and forests can be managed and documented with the support of GPS data. These functions offer the possibility to document observations, to take pictures, to print them, to send and to export them for further use. Moreover, it allows a comparison of historical and current data and can detect changes in the environment.

Technological assistance for the efficient management of forest areas.

·         A land-consolidation procedure aimed at reorganizing land, including forestland. During the restructuring process, mostly smaller scattered areas (fragmented land) are combined to larger and thus more effective usable areas. The reason for the previous fragmentation is the „real division“. Landscaping also includes the creation of paths, roads and waters as well as similar public facilities.
The main goals of this process are:
Better and more efficient cultivation
Maximum possible benefit for all stakeholders and public
Increase in value

Improving land occupancy

The Forest Biomass Laboratory of the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology has been designed as the central location for research and quality control of forest biomass for energy in the Republic of Croatia. In accordance with the constitutive objective, construction and equipping of the laboratory as well as education of the laboratory staff, was carried out like in modern European laboratories. 

Laboratory analysis necessary for the establishment of the monitoring system of solid biofuels in the production and transport chain from the raw material (forest biomass) through the producer to the final consumer, are carried out in accordance with the European, i.e. International standards for solid biofuels (HRN EN; HRN EN ISO). Forest Biomass Laboratory of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zagreb will offer the opportunity to croatian producers of solid biofuels to test their own product in their own country in accordance with the applicable European standards, to improve technological processes and place the product on the market with all necessary declarations either in the Republic of Croatia or on common European and world market.
 

Wood is first is a promotion campaign initiated by Croatian Chamber of Commerce, implemented with Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate for forestry, hunting and wood processing industry and Croatian Forests Ltd. Campaign was initiated in 2007 with the aim to raise awareness about wood as renewable material, promote and increase use of wood and increase competitiveness of wood processing industry in Croatia. Activities included promotion on fairs and calls for designers and architects to submit their design of wood products (furniture and other equipment).

Campaign had good results and attitude towards wood in everyday use is positively changed through press conferences, database of wood products producers (furniture, woody biomass, wood for construction, other) establishment, catalogue of wood processing companies and their products, info booklet about socially responsible public procurement (emphasis is on using wood products, green public procurement, certification of wood products), info booklet about public procurement of wood products, info booklet about wood pellets