Supplier name: Sage Research Corporation
Contract number: 23483-210404/001/CY
Contract value: $25,918.25 including HST
Award date: October 5, 2020
Delivery date: January 2021
Registration number: POR 044-20
For more information on this report, please contact Natural Resources Canada at: nrcan.por-rop.rncan@canada.ca
Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.
Prepared for Natural Resources Canada by Sage Research Corporation
January 2021
The purpose of the research was to provide Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) with an understanding of the general public’s awareness, understanding and perceptions of the forest bioeconomy. The results will be used to provide input to future public opinion research and to assist in the development of communications to increase the general public’s awareness of the economic potential of new technologies and bioproducts for the forest products industry.
Two online focus groups were conducted November 14 and 18, 2020, with one group conducted in English, and one in French. The qualified participants were members of the general public 18 years of age and older, but excluding people working in the forestry or energy sectors.
This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Natural Resources Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Natural Resources Canada at: nrcan.por-rop.rncan@canada.ca
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, 2021
Catalogue Number: Fo4-147/2-2021E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-37206-8
Cette publication est aussi disponible en françaiss sous le titre : Groupes de discussion sur la bioéconomie forestière
In recent years, the development of a competitive bioeconomy has become a priority for federal and provincial governments. The forest bioeconomy specifically represents an opportunity for the forest sector to diversify products and access new markets, and is a vital part of the transition to a low carbon future. Some research in the form of consultations has been undertaken by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) with governments and forest industry stakeholders. However, little research has been conducted on the public’s perceptions of the forest bioeconomy in Canada.
The overall purpose of the research was to provide Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) with an understanding of the general public’s awareness, understanding and perceptions of the forest bioeconomy. Topics explored included:
Results from the research will be used to:
Two two-hour online focus groups were conducted November 14 and 18, 2020, with one group conducted in English, and one in French. There were seven participants in each focus group.
Participants in the English-language group were drawn from B.C., the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland. Paticipants in the French-language group were drawn from Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.
The qualified participants were members of the general public 18 years of age and older, but excluding people working in the forestry or energy sectors. Within each group there was mix of men and women, a mix on age, and a mix on community size (large city/suburb of a large city versus small/medium city/town/village/rural area).
This research was qualitative in nature, not quantitative. As such, the results provide an indication of participants’ views about the topics explored, but cannot be statistically generalized to represent the full population. Further, due to the small size of this project (two focus groups, 14 participants), there is not sufficient data to suggest hypotheses about the prevalence of themes in awareness and attitudes among the broader general public. The value of this qualitative research is that it gives an indication of the range and types of views that can be found among the general public pertaining to sustainable forest practices and the forest bioeconomy.
Participants did not feel they were knowledgeable about the forest industry in Canada. To varying albeit quite limited degrees they had some impressions based on things they had seen or heard in the media, but overall there was little depth of knowledge.
There was general agreement that the forest industry plays an important rolefor Canada in terms of jobs and trade, but no specific knowledge of the size of the sector in terms of number of jobs.
Quite a few participants commented on the importance of planting new trees to at least replace those that are cut down. Essentially, they were saying that it is important to ensure the long-term health of Canada’s forests. However, there were mixed views as well as a lack of knowledge on the extent to which this is happening and the level of success of regeneration programs.
The large majority of participants said they did not know how Canada compares to other countries in terms of sustainable forest practices. They hoped that Canada compares well – and some assumed Canada likely compares well, but they had limited knowledge of what is being done in Canada, and even less knowledge about what is being done in other countries.
Participants were given the following information: Canada harvests less than 1% of its forests each year, and as a result of forest management requirements more than 500 million tree seedlings are planted each year. This was new information for almost all the participants. It was perceived to be a positive statement about sustainable forest practices, but many participants raised questions as to whether the information is as good as it seems on the face of it. Questions were raised about the meaning of the 1% figure, the level of success of planting tree seedlings in ensuring forest health, and harvesting impacts on old-growth forests.
Participants were then given the following information: There are several third-party independent organizations that certify whether or not a particular forest is being sustainably managed. It turns out that Canada has the largest area of third-party-certified forests in the world, that is, the largest area of sustainably managed forests in the world. A majority of participants were suspicious or at best skeptical about this information without knowing more about who these organizations are, how they operate and the standards they apply to certifying forestry management practices. Despite the skepticism, some did note that there is a need for the public to be reassured that forests are being sustainably managed. They felt it is a good idea to have organizations that are neutral, unbiased and scientifically sound do evaluations that evaluate sustainability practices and compliance with regulations. The issue is convincing people that an organization meets these criteria.
Some participants also raised questions about the claim “largest area of sustainably managed forests in the world”:
None of the participants had seen or heard the phrase “forest bioeconomy.” If the phrase is to be used in communications, it will need to be explained.
To help facilitate informed discussion, participants were provided information about what the forest bioeconomy is, a description of the various sources of forest biomass that can be used in the forest bioeconomy, and several examples of things that can be made using forest biomass.
Notably, the information read to participants about the forest bioeconomy was largely unfamiliar to them. That is, not only was the phrase “forest bioeconomy” unfamiliar, but also information on sources and uses of forest biomass.
Participants liked the idea of making more use of forest biomass where possible, and that it is good for the environment to use wood fibre and all parts of trees as resources to produce a variety of products in addition to traditional lumber. Perceived benefits included:
Participants perceived the forest bioeconomy to have the potential to boost Canada’s economy and jobs through the creation of new industries. There is also a perceived potential to boost exports, as trade is important for the Canadian economy.
Participants had a number of concerns or questions about the forest bioeconomy and the uses of biomass. These related to (a) the efficacy and safety of the products produced from forest biomass, and the longevity of these products; (b) the viability of the industry and the products it would produce; (c) who benefits from the forest bioeconomy and who possibly suffers from the creation of the forest bioeconomy; (d) environmental concerns; (e) cost and affordability of biomass products.
The number of participants raising questions or concerns, and the variety of types of questions and concerns, points to the importance of providing information to the public about the forest bioeconomy as part of growing this sector of the economy.
Participants emphasized that affordability of products made from forest biomass is a key consideration. Their point was that while they believe in social responsibility and want to practice it for the good of the environment and society as a whole, what it costs to buy these products is the bottom line. Unless these products are affordable, people and companies will not make the change to products produced from forest biomass.
A number of participants emphasized that the use forest resources should not exceed the ability to renew and sustain those resources. That is, the forest bioeconomy should not have a net negative impact on Canada’s forests.
There was general agreement that governments in Canada have an important role to play in investing in research and development, in assisting and encouraging adoption of new products, and in providing objective information to the public. Some also commented that government involvement will also help ensure that sustainability and environmental protection standards will be followed.
Participants identified the following types of information that they would like:
Participants said they are interested in products made using sustainably sourced wood fibre and would make an effort to find products of this type. However, these products must also provide value for money relative to what they are paying now.
One area of interest was alternatives for food packaging, that is the reduction or replacement of traditional plastic packaging or containers with packaging made from forest biomass. Generally participants said they might be willing to pay a little bit more for products that are not single use products or that are single use but can be recycled, composted or re-purposed. Again, however, some cautioned that the products must provide value for money: they would not pay more for a product that is significantly inferior to what they buy now just because they are made from forest biomass.
When asked what they would like to see on the packaging to be sure that a product is made using sustainable materials and practices, most participants in one session said that it would be most believable if the packaging had some sort of government seal certifying that the product met the necessary standards.
The contract value is $25,918.25 including HST.
I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Sage Research Corporation that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, and standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.
Anita Pollak
President
Sage Research Corporation