Global concentration of wood-pulp production, 1961–2021

Abstract

Wood pulp is one of the main products of forestry worldwide, being a necessary intermediate product for all types of paper produced. In order to understand the market dynamics of this product, this study analyses the global concentration of the wood-pulp production from 1961 to 2021 using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). To measure the degree of concentration, the following indicators were used: concentration ratio [CR(fc)], the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), the Theil Entropy Index (E), the Hall and Tideman Index (HTI), the Comprehensible Concentration Index (CCI) and the Gini Coefficient (G). A decreasing tendency in the concentration of the world production of wood pulp was verified, but the concentration is still classified as intense. The inequality was also strongly verified by the G, but also with a downward tendency. The participation of major producers is also decreasing. This trend of reduced concentration is explained by the increase in the number of countries producing wood pulp. This study concluded that the environmental and technological conditions of the management of planted forests restrict the participation of many of the countries producing wood pulp.