ABSTRACT
Wood is considered as humankind’s very rst source of energy. Today, it still is the most important single source of renewable energy providing over 9% of the total global primary energy supply. Wood energy is as important as all other renewable energy sources altogether (hydro, geothermal, wastes, biogas, solar, and liquid biofuels). More than two billion people depend on wood energy for cooking and/or heating, particularly in households in developing countries, where it often represents the only domestically available and affordable source of energy. Private households’ cooking and heating with wood fuels represents one-third of the global renewable energy consumption, making wood the most decentralized energy in the world (FAO 2010c).
