Munich, 5.9.2013 - 12th International Key Trade Fair for Forestry and Forest Technology with Scientific Conferences and Special Shows
16 –20 July 2014, Messe München Forestry, an Industry of the Future

As a Key Trade Show, INTERFORST 2014 will be a Must for all Forest Owners
Interview with Philipp Freiherr zu Guttenberg

Freiherr zu Guttenberg, what do you expect from a forestry trade show and from INTERFORST 2014 in Munich, in particular? Are your expectations as a forest owner and forester different from those you have as a forestry
politician?

Every forestry trade show is a get-together of the industry and thus a platform for both exchanging information and arranging new business contacts. I expect a good market overview from Interforst 2014 as international key trade show for forestry and forest technology: Here, both well-proven and the latest products will be on display. The fact that the topic of “Wood as a renewable raw material” is one of the focal themes of the trade show makes the heart of every forest owner flutter. Wood is the most intelligent, innovative raw material. As a forest owner and association president I welcome the fact that the chances of wood as a raw material also in the energy sector are of key importance at this trade show. I wish that the public’s perception of this fact increases beyond the attention it is being given by the professional media.

The past INTERFORST held in 2010 was attended by a remarkably high number of young people. May this lead to the conclusion that forestry has a future?

Yes, at any rate, forestry has a future. The trend towards timber products and the demand for this fantastic raw material among the population are continually on the rise. Sustainable forestry creates workplaces, particularly in rural, economically underdeveloped regions. Thus, the number of employees in the forestry and timber cluster currently exceeds 1.2 million in Germany.
Our sustainable forestry puts us in a position to carry on the intergenerational contract which has been a part of everyday life for 300 years now. This guiding principle ensures that future generations will benefit from the functions of the forest as well.

What does the forest mean to you personally?

When I was a child, the forest was my playground. Now it is the playground for my children. We grew up with the forest – always knowing that besides all the recreational benefits and natural beauty it offers, it is above all our basis for life.

When you explain the forest to your children, do you use the word “sustainability”?

My eldest son is nine years old now. He still does not know much about sustainability but he has already understood what really matters, i.e. the principle. In the forest, I can explain lots of things to my children and show them how the
interaction between nature, human beings and animals works, and that it is crucial to conserve this forest for future generations as we have inherited it from our forefathers.

Since Fukushima, the German government has embraced renewable energies and wood instead of nuclear energy. Is this good news for private forest owners?

The fact that the use of renewable energies has been further encouraged since Fukushima is good news for private forest owners. Wood, as a raw material, provides us with the key to the solution of our task for the future. As the most important renewable energy carrier, wood, our domestic raw material, is the prerequisite for the politically desired energy turnaround to be actually successful here. Therefore, forest owners should take part in the political negotiations in respect of decisions on the development of renewable energies.

What are the central issues of our national forest economy? Are they identical to those of the European forest economy?

Our national and the European forest economies require safe and stable ownership relations and reliable political framework conditions. One of the central issues of our national forest economy is not to limit modern, sustainable forestry by additional formalities and requests for closures. By imposing additional restrictions on the use of domestic wood in Germany and Europe, we do not only cause harm to our forest owners but also promote overexploitation in other countries of the world which do not operate as sustainably as we do. In addition, as European year of resource efficiency, the year 2014 will be another good opportunity to show more political appreciation for the forest owners’ work.

Is the German model of sustainable forest management – recreation, nature conservation, protection functions on the one hand, and forest management for timber production on the other – future-compliant?

The German model will have a great future if politicians do not destroy the intergenerational contract as a part of everyday life by imposing even more formalities and by the taxation of real assets which is desired by a few political
parties. It is not always simple to reconcile the different functions. Sustainability successfully practiced in German forestry for 300 years -and the associated concept have more and more become an export hit. Our industry is the only economic sector the maxim of which has always been and will always be to utilize existing resources only in such a way that even the well-being of future generations remains secured.

Forest Strategy 2020 or Forest Climate Fund – steps into the right direction or a sellout of the forest?

Forest Strategy 2020 appreciates the performance of our sustainable multifunctional forest economy. This is an important political message in order to give more public recognition to our work, and goes beyond the idea of sharing the “nature conservation industry”, which is often the result of ideological wishful thinking. The Forest Climate Fund, which aims at restructuring our forests in the light of climate change, is important and in the right place. The budget allocated to this fund created by the German government this year is only a drop in the ocean
in view of the huge challenge of coping with climate change. Of the initially planned budget of 50 million euros, only 7 million euros have become reality. In the next legislative period, the financial means of this fund must be clearly
increased. The basic mood that prevails in the forestry sector is a positive one. What do you think are the reasons for it? Do you share this positive basic mood?

The increasing global demand for wood as a raw material leads to a positive basic mood among forest owners. We can be proud of the fact that we produce this versatile, unique and renewable raw material. Wood offers a great variety of advantages: Among other things, it is climate-friendly, less expensive than oil or gas and, in addition, can be stored safely. More than one in four German households uses firewood, wood chips or wood pellets for heating. I can well understand this positive basic mood.

What does the different types of forest owners (private, municipal and state forests) unite?

An issue of common concern for all types of forest owners in Germany is the requirement of clear, safe and stable property relations. In addition, they are all united by the principle of multifunctional sustainable forest management, and by the fact that they are jointly taking care of the conservation of forests with their wide variety of functions. I wish that everything that has worked for 300 years now will be preserved for the next generations.

What is your personal goal as a representative of the national and European forestry umbrella associations?

My personal goal is to collaborate for an increased public respect and reward of the benefits provided by sustainable forestry in Germany and Europe in favor of the general public interest. I am committed to safeguarding reliable property relations in Germany. This is the only way for my children and grand-children to carry on the intergenerational contract which has been a part of my family’s everyday life for generations.

Forests are an important economic factor in Germany. Are you satisfied with the appreciation placed on them by politicians, society and industrialists?

No, I am not. The awareness of the benefits that forests offer to all of us should increase among politicians and the population alike. In Germany, we need a greater political recognition of timber production and timber utilization. Wood with its long-term carbon dioxide storage capacity and as a replacement for oil-based and energy-intensive raw materials plays a key role in dealing with our task for the future. This is true both in the battle against climate change and for the energy turnaround. With more than 1.2 million employees, the forestry and timber cluster
provides more than twice as many jobs as the German automotive industry. Thus, the forest industry is a very important job motor in our country!