The Global Forest Products Model (GFPM) was developed to upgrade the FAO methodology for forest products outlook projections. Its purpose is to analyze and project the consumption, production, trade, and prices of forest products. The system deals with 180 individual countries, three classes of roundwood, sawnwood, three kinds of panels, three of pulp, waste paper, and three types of paper and paperboard. The system is built on market equilibrium theory, with imperfect foresight. The short-term equilibrium is modeled by price-endogenous linear programming determining production, consumption, trade, and market-clearing prices in any given year, subject to short-term capacities of production. Year to year changes are represented by equations predicting... |