Measurement of global competitiveness of non-wood forest products: the case of Turkey

Abstract

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) contribute economically to all countries in the world and they are an important source of income, especially for people living in or near the forest. They are also used in many sectors such as medicine, chemistry and paint industry. In this respect, the importance of NWFPs is increasing day by day. In this research, the comparative advantage of NWFPs of Turkey was analyzed. It was used revealed comparative advantage (RCA), relative trade advantage (RTA), and revealed competitiveness (RC) in the analysis of research. The research is based on secondary data and was used for 2008-2019 period. As a result, Turkey has a strong competitiveness in NWFPs between years 2008 and 2019. When non-wood forest products are examined at subgroup level, Turkey has a comparative advantage in 8 product groups.

Key words: NWFPs, comparative advantage, trade; exports