From failure to value: economic valuation for a selected set of products and services from Mediterranean forests

Aim of study: the paper estimates the economic value of a selected range of forest products and services, i.e. roundwood, nonwood\udforest products (NWFPs), and carbon-related services.\udArea of study: the research covers 21 Mediterranean countries, distinguished into four sub-regions.\udMaterial and methods: data have been gathered from official statistical sources (e.g. FAOSTAT), scientific literature and technical\udreports. Different estimation approaches based on market-price have been used for different products/services.\udMain results: the estimated value ranges between €10,512 and €11,158 million (M). Wood products represent more than 85% of\udthe total value. Within them, industrial timber is the most relevant component (65%). Figures for NWFPs are likely to be underestimated\udbecause data are available only for some products and countries. When using alternative estimates for pine nuts, pine resin\udand cork, figures show a €36.8-572 M increase. In geographical terms, the economic value of Mediterranean forests is highly\udconcentrated: North-West Mediterranean countries account for 70%, and nearly 90% is in just four countries (France, Spain, Turkey\udand Italy).\udResearch highlights: enhancing the offer of Mediterranean forest products and increasing their role in the rural economy could\udhelp to reduce the costs of forest protection: a well-structured forest economy ensuring stable flows of incomes can provide a fundamental\udset of public non-market services and social values to both local people and the whole community. Understanding the true\udvalue of natural resources, then, is an essential step for promoting their protection and sustainable use