Monitoring the Profitability of Small Scale Farm Forestry in Austria

The Austrian example illustrates the potentials as well as the limitations of forest accountancy data networks as devices for investigating and furthering the profitability of small scale farm forestry (SSFF). Special reference is made to the experiences gained in the process of adaptation and renewal of the system of data management and reporting, which took place in the year 2000. The sampled farms taking part also in the national Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), the nowadays quite easily accomplished incorporation of non-forestry data on farm level is a most valuable step towards a more comprehensive documentation of the economics of farm forestry and allows for various additional analyses. The paper focuses on the following aspects of the topic: sampling scheme, ratios, significance of imputed costs and revenues, individual reporting, aggregated data and questions of consistency.