HIGHLIGHTS ON WOOD CHARCOAL: 2004-2009
By Mr Florian Steierer, Forestry Officer (Wood Energy), FAO Forestry Department
Data source: FAOSTAT-ForesSTAT, released on 12 January 2011

PRODUCTION
The global production of wood charcoal was estimated at 47 million metric tonnes in 2009 and increased by 9% since 2004. This development is being very strongly influenced by Africa. Africa is the region with the by far most important production, accounting for 63% of global production. Charcoal production boosted in Africa by almost 30% since 2004, extended Africa’s global lead (see Table 1).
The region of Latin America and the Caribbean shows an opposite trend compared to Africa. Charcoal production decreased to 8.8 million metric tonnes which is a reduction by almost 30% since
2004. Latin America and Caribbean production is now close to the Asian production of 7.4 million metric tonnes. However, this development of charcoal production in Latin America and the Caribbean was strongly influenced by the data reported by Brazil. Brazil is the biggest single charcoal producing country in the world (see Figure 2), and its production accounts for 47% of the charcoal production in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2009. Charcoal production in Brazil is only reported for the production of pig iron. In the wake of the economic downturn, production decreased from 8.4 million metric tonnes in 2008 to 5.1 million metric tonnes in 2009 (see Table 1).
Latest national data, which are not yet available in FAO statistics, indicate that production recovered almost entirely to previous years’ levels in 2010.
Compared to the amounts of the three above mentioned regions, charcoal production in Europe,
North America and Oceania is insignificant.

Table 1: Wood charcoal production by region, 2004-2009

Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America & Caribbean
Northern America
Oceania
WORLD

Production in 2009
(million metric tonnes)
29.4
7.4
0.5
8.8
0.9
0.0
47.0

Share (%)
2004
52
16
1
29
2
0
100

2009
63
16
1
19
2
0
100

% change
2004-2009
29.8
10.2
5.4
-29.3
-0.7
4.1
8.9

2008-2009
5.9
-1.4
-1.4
-27.4
0.8
1.8
-3.6

Thus global production of charcoal represents about 280 million m³ in roundwood (wood fuel) equivalent (about 6 m³ of woodfuel are needed to produce 1 tonne of charcoal). Thus, about 15% of global wood fuel production is converted to charcoal. The share of wood fuel converted to charcoal increased continuously and reached its highest share ever in 2008. In Africa, about 30% of the wood fuel is being used for charcoal production.
Two reasons may explain the increasing share of charcoal production from wood fuel:
a) Charcoal production is often an integral part using processing residues in countries with a highly developed wood processing industry. The converted wood residues have not been classified as wood fuel and are only added in the statistic. These production facilities are often modern industrial retort kilns with high efficiencies. Efficiencies can be even so high,

that the conversion factor of 6 m³ roundwood per tonne of charcoal produced might slightly overestimate the amount of wood required. Charcoal from industrial kilns is often used for chemical appliances, barbeque or steel production.
b) Charcoal is the cooking fuel of urban dwellers in developing countries, rather than fuelwood. Increasing urbanisation rates could therefore explain the steep increase of wood fuel conversion to charcoal notably in Africa. Traditional earth kilns are often used for charcoal production in developing countries. These are archaic and inefficient and the conversion factor of 6 m³ roundwood is likely to underestimate real values of wood fuel required.
Figure 1 provides an overview on the long term development of charcoal production in the world since 1965. Africa is clearly the region with the biggest increase over the entire period.

million tonnes

Figure 1: Wood charcoal production trends by region
50
Africa

45
40
35

Latin America &
Caribbean

30

Europe

25
20

Northern
America

15

Oceania

10
Asia

5

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

0

Seven of the top ten charcoal producing countries are from the African region. Brazil, India and
China are the three exemptions and strongly influence the results of charcoal production in their individual regions.
Figure 2: Top ten wood charcoal producing countries
Brazil, 11%
Nigeria, 8%

Ethiopia,
8%
Dem. Rep.
Congo, 4%
Mozambique,
4%

Others,
65%

India, 4%
China, 4%
Egypt, 3%

Ghana, 3%

Un. Rep. of
Tanzania,
3%

INTERNATIONAL TRADE
In 2009, wood charcoal exports totalled at 2 million tonnes, or 4% of global production. Five countries, Paraguay, India, Indonesia, Argentina and Somalia account for half of the global wood charcoal exports (see ).
The top five wood charcoal importing countries account together for 38% of the global market.
Germany was the biggest wood charcoal importer, followed by China, Malaysia, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Figure 3: Top wood charcoal exporting countries

Figure 4: Top wood charcoal importing countries

Germany,
9%

Paraguay,
12%

China, 8%
India, 11%

Malaysia,
8%
Others,
51%

Indonesia,
11%

Somalia,
5%

Argentina,
11%

Japan, 7%

Others,
62%

Republic of
Korea, 6%