But according to the French-Swiss branch of Lignum, the Swiss timber umbrella organisation, although Swiss forests are expanding, they are under-exploited.
For while Swiss timber is competitive, it has to compete against a tough international market. “Margins are slim and Switzerland’s long-standing ecological tradition complicates matters. It’s almost impossible for us to rival the northern countries where huge areas are forested,” said Markus Moser, Lignum director.
The Federal Statistics Office and the Environment Office report that in 2001 the overall added value of the forestry economy and timber industry was worth around SFr7.6bn, around 1.8% of gross domestic product.
But while the forests are expanding they are under-used according to sources. In 2005, 5.2 million hectares of wood was harvested out of a potential eight million square hectares.
