If you ask 100 different people the question: "What is a forest?", you will most likely receive 100 different answers. For some, it is associated with leisure time, for others – with hunting or, quite the opposite – with respectfully observing natural processes from the sidelines, and there will certainly be someone who reminds us that the forest is Latvia's "green gold".

Although the forest is close to every inhabitant of Latvia, it is very important that Latvian society is aware of the forest sector's contribution to the national economy and is familiar with the processes taking place within it.

Since the restoration of Latvia's independence, the forest sector has become one of the main cornerstones of the national economy, and the manufacture of its products has become the primary industrial sector.

The timber industry covers the sub-sectors of forestry, logging, and furniture manufacturing, starting from the planting and growing of trees.