Uganda is richly endowed with flora and fauna. Until the early 2000s, most of the types of vegetation have remained natural/virgin forests and shrubs until recent years, when human activities have damaged them. Understanding the different ways that people value such endangered forest resources is very important. The main hypothesis in our study is that willingness to pay (WTP) for forest existence value and sustainability depends on the preference for the same values. In addition, we examined socioeconomic characteristics, such as sex, education, and household incomes, which could influence the WTP for forest existence value and sustainability. We carried out field questionnaire interviews with the aim of ascertaining Willingness to Pay (WTP) for forest existence. The WTP values were in a range between 1 and 200 USD based on the contingent valuation method (CVM). A sample with a size of 203 was interviewed in selected towns and villages in Uganda, and the data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. The cross-tabulation of the expressed preferences illustrates that 81.9% of the representative sample are willing to pay for forest existence value and sustainability. We concluded that the willingness to pay for forest existence significantly depends on the preference for forest existence values and sustainability. Our results equally express that the mean WTP in this region is 15 USD per year and that over 60% are willing to pay this amount. The socioeconomic determinants’ results demonstrate heterogeneity and that over 90% of the respondents are willing to pay for forest existence, conservation, and sustainability.

The current approach to business management focuses on increasing the performance of business processes. To achieve the required processes performance means to ensure the required quality and capability of processes. The partial aim of this paper is to confirm the positive effects of the Six Sigma methodology (SSM) on the corporate performance in the Slovak Republic and an investigation of the dependency of SSM implementation on the certified quality management system (QMS) as a set-forward condition via a questionnaire survey carried out in Slovak industrial enterprises. The survey results confirmed the above-mentioned assumptions. The SSM using DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) was applied in real conditions of two manufacturing enterprises with a different level of quality management system. The results of the research study proved a possibility to implement SSM and to use the same methods in enterprises aside from a level of QMS. However, more remarkable results were achieved by the enterprise which introduced QMS. The first application of SSM in enterprises within specific conditions of furniture production processes can be considered to be a contribution of the research study, as well. The result of the work is the model including the methodology and the appropriate combination of methods and tools for assuring the sustainable performance of the business processes.

The article discusses the issues of effectiveness of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certification systems in relation to enterprises and the level to which the systems which present sustainability as a part of their ethos are accepted by consumers. The justifiability and topicality of this issue result from the increasingly strong interest in sustainability of the society as a whole as well as from the long-term vision of sector policies with respect to meeting the objectives of sustainable development. The increasing demand for natural resources exerts pressure on our planet. Sustainability is hence essential for our future and has long been in the centre of the European project. Its economic, social and environmental aspects which form the common objective of society have been acknowledged in EU agreements. A principal document of a global nature is the 2030 UN Agenda for Development, a sustainability programme which has the sustainability of forest ecosystems established in its Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Visions, direction and goals of sustainable development have also been stipulated in the Paris Agreement on climate change (COP21), in the Addis Ababa action programme and in The Future We Want declaration, namely in its Chapter II, which appeals to enterprises and industries for developing strategies which would contribute to sustainable development. This study aims to analyse and assess the justifiability of the existence of certification systems in relation to processing operators and end consumers in the Czech Republic. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that, despite the strong representation of selected certification systems in the Czech Republic, their effectiveness in economic, social and environmental terms is not perceived exclusively positive by businesses and consumers.

Research Highlights: One of the priorities of the European Commission is to build up an effective circular economy based on recycling and multiple use of materials. Wood biomass is a renewable raw material and can be used several times in a cascading sequence. Each country has a unique situation regarding the availability and utilization of wood sources. Background and Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze wood flow in the Czech Republic using the cascading principle of biomass use. The specific situation in the Czech Republic lies in a lack of valid and reliable input data from official statistics. Therefore, the reverse input method was applied. Materials and Methods: Input data analyses of roundwood sources and foreign trade were based on official statistical data. The calculation of raw wood volume consumption in primary processing was performed based on the data after our own correction and recalculation. It was then possible to build up a basic model of multi-stage cascade wood use. The input volume of roundwood was divided among all types of primary processing production using conversion factors. Results: Cascading use of wood (CUW) showed the level of efficiency of the resource. Official statistical input data and the reversed input data regarding raw wood volume entering wood processing revealed differences at a level of 27%. The overall CUW in the Czech Republic indicates a high rate of wood use in primary processing with low added value and in generating energy. Conclusions: The reverse input method reveals the real situation of wood consumption irrespective of the level of official statistical data. It is suitable to apply in an environment of incomplete or incorrect input data. CUW in Czechia showed an opportunity for increasing the efficiency of wood utilization. The structure of wood use needs to be optimized towards creating greater added value.

As was first stressed by the classical economists Adam Smith and David Ricardo, international trade plays a crucial role in the growth process. The paper aims to analyze the influence of foreign trade on economic performance in the wood processing industry (WPI) of Czechia and Slovakia. The multivariate regression method (MLR), assumption tests for MLR models, and Granger causality test were applied to identify association between foreign trade economic performance, and indicators were formed to measure the effects of foreign trade at the industry level. The Granger test revealed the unidirectional causality in the Slovak WPI and bidirectional causality in the Czech WPI. The results revealed that the net export growth has a positive effect on the economic performance of the industry, but only if the growth in imports is lower than in exports. The balanced trade balance indicated no influence of foreign trade on economic performance. The paper contributes to existing knowledge with indicators for evaluation of foreign trade effects on the performance of the industry. The paper also brings new empirical knowledge in trade balance effects on the economic performance of industries.

Sustainable manufacturing is connected with the effectiveness of production processes. There are several solutions to improve manufacturing sustainability. This paper deals with the possibilities of the utilization of mathematical methods to solve optimization problems in the production process of furniture. The aim of the paper is to create a mathematical model of the key processes in order to maximize productivity and cost reduction by identifying key processes and parameters influencing manufacturing effectiveness. After identification of the parameters describing the key process (milling), an abstract model of the manufacturing process was created. Identified input parameters were the cutting velocity, feed rate, and a total volume of removed material. The output parameters were surface roughness, process duration, and process cost. The experimentally measured and calculated values of the output parameters were analyzed by a multiple regression tool. The method of an artificial neural network was used as a numeric method for optimization. The results showed that the maximal effectiveness of the sub-process can be achieved if the CNC machine is set at the cutting velocity of 4398.23 m·min⁻¹ and feed rate of 11.00 m·min⁻¹. Maximal values of the created neural network showed optimal values of input and output parameters.