Material Flow Analysis of Wood Resources: A 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 provides a comprehensive review of 42 material flow analysis (MFA) studies on wood resources conducted in the European Union and Switzerland between 2000 and 2024, introducing a five-level data risk classification. It examines how MFA is applied, including system boundaries, data sources, unit consistency, flow representation, and uncertainty handling. Results show that while volume-based units and Sankey diagrams are widely used, there is substantial variation in terminology, data quality, and methodology. The building stage is frequently excluded, limiting the completeness of wood flow assessments. Key challenges include restricted data access, inconsistent spatial and temporal scales, and varying levels of data processing risk. The study recommends harmonized units and terminology, open-access databases, standardization in visualization practices, and ultimately a wood-specific MFA framework to improve data quality, comparability, and policy relevance.