Developing regional forest and wood value chains

HUB BERN | Project AWN-2

Our goal:

To significantly improve regional value creation from forests and wood, in harmony with the vital environmental and social ecosystem services provided by the forest.

Communication Workshop within the Incubator Project "Sustainable Forestry through Local Forestry Enterprises" Photo: Lignum Holzwirtschaft Bern, Thomas Lüthi

In a nutshell:

Sustainable management of forests and wood has the potential to become the exemplary system linking people and nature in a mutually beneficial relationship. As a renewable raw material, wood is key to a sustainable way of life. In moving toward a climate-friendly society, we must therefore position this resource in a way that will also allow future generations to benefit from it. Wood is versatile: it can be used for heating, as a substitute for plastic, in packaging, to make clothing, and in construction. However, we must use it appropriately, ensuring that this use is sustainable and fair. Building with wood makes sense for several reasons: it sequesters carbon in the long term and can replace reinforced concrete, which is energy- and resource-intensive.

The pilot project regions of Oberland-Ost and Emmental, both located in the Canton of Bern, are characterized by a high proportion of forest, but they differ in terms of ownership structure and the proportion of protection forest. In both regions, forest maintenance and use are important to safeguard forest services and the sustainable use of wood as a climate-neutral raw material. This project works with local stakeholders—decision-makers from the forestry and wood sector, government, and civil society—to improve regional forest- and wood-based value creation. Together, we are developing ideas on how to sustainably use the renewable resource of wood in a regional circular economy, and how to initiate the necessary social transformation processes. An accompanying research project is investigating transformative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wood-processing sector. Using the case study regions of the Canton of Bern and Vorarlberg in Austria, the research examines how SMEs can drive the sector toward sustainable economic practices, and what strategies they employ. Through targeted exchange of information and knowledge, the findings will be incorporated into the “Developing regional forest and wood value chains” implementation project.

In 2020, a broad range of stakeholders met at an interregional workshop to discuss initial ideas for possible solutions. These ideas were then prioritized based on a sector-wide survey. Partnerships were formed and six pilot projects—so-called incubators—were implemented along the value chain in the two regions of Oberland-Ost and Emmental. Five of the six projects were completed at the end of 2024.

More information

Regionale Wertschöpfung Wald und Holz (Information about the six projects on the website of Lignum Holzwirtschaft Bern, an association of stakeholders in Bern’s wood and timber sector; in German)

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In collaboration with:

Office for Forests and Natural Hazards of the Canton of Bern (AWN)

Status: Ongoing project