Material Flow Analysis of Wood Resources: A Systematic Review of Current Practices in EU and Switzerland

Wood and wood-based products are increasingly recognized for their renewability and carbon storage capacity, supporting sustainable development and circular economy goals in the EU. This paper systematically reviews material flow analysis (MFA) practices applied to wood resources in the European Union (EU) and Switzerland, covering 42 studies from 2000 to 2024. The review assesses how MFA is conducted, including scopes of system boundaries, data sources, unit consistency, flow representation, and handling of uncertainty. Results show that while volume-based units and Sankey diagrams are commonly used, there is significant variation in terminology, data quality, and methodology. Challenges include limited access to reliable data, inconsistent spatial and temporal scales, and diverse data processing risk levels. The study highlights the need for harmonized methods, standardized units, and open data platforms to improve data quality and comparability. Clear guidelines and a unified framework are essential for advancing MFA as a tool for policy support, resource efficiency, and climate change mitigation. This review demonstrates that further collaboration and methodological consistency are crucial to unlocking the full potential of wood MFA in sustainable resource management.