Changes in the consumption of forest products and services during the COVID-19 era in the Republic of Korea
The main purpose of this study is to identify how the consumption of forest products and services has changed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea. This study used an original online survey which was conducted between 27 August and 4 September 2020 based on proportionate quota and systematic sampling (n=1,000) for the entire nation. It analyzed the survey on patterns in 1) the purchase of non-wood forest products for foods and 2) wood ones for home interior, 3) visits to nearby parks and green spaces, and 4) visits to forests for outdoor activities by using the frequency analysis and a paired t-test. It found that some respondents who consumed forest products and services before the COVID-19 (August 2019 to the middle of February 2020) did not consume them anymore after the COVID-19 (the middle of February 2020 to August 2020), particularly the visits to forests for outdoor activities. Also, it discovered that there was a meaningful difference in terms of the frequency of the consumption in forest products and services as from the outbreak of the COVID-19. The average frequency of purchasing wood and non-wood forest products and visiting nearby parks, and forests for outdoor activities after the COVID-19 was lower than before due to a decline in income, and strong social distancing measures. However, the number of respondents who visited nearby parks and green spaces once a month increased after the COVID-19 due to restrictions on indoor activities. Moreover, the proportion of respondents who visited nearby parks and forests alone and purchased non-wood forest products online increased after the COVID-19. Thus, the expansion of urban forests, and the provision of forest therapy and recreation services for small groups or individuals are needed to meet the demand for a safe outdoor environment, and contactless technologies are required for efficient and transparent online purchase of forest products for the post COVID-19 era. Keywords: COVID-19 ID: 3623029
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| Format: | Document biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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FAO ;
2022
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| Online Access: | https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/CC2601EN http://www.fao.org/3/cc2601en/cc2601en.pdf |
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