Woody resource can be a sustainable resource if it is kept under appropriate management. However, because of ad-hoc based consumption/renewal management, woody resource in Japan has been on the verge of losing its supply/demand balance and may become insufficient at any time in the near future. Furthermore, environmental load reduction issues related to its utilization are as important as the management For planning better wood resource utilization and environmental load reduction, it is essential to discuss them based on material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). This paper overviews the MFA and LCA studies relevant to these issues, while clarifying the future tasks to be assigned.
