Even with ongoing international pressure against deforestation and illegal logging, globally tropical forests are being destroyed at a rate of approximately 13 million ha per year. This is roughly four times the size of Belgium and this destruction is responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions (this is more than all the world’s planes, trains and automobiles combined). Despite this only a measly 1% of tropical forests are certified by third parties as being sustainably managed.
However, times are changing and areas that were once lush rainforests cut down for agricultural purposes and then left barren are now being bought up by forestry investment companies. These companies are using barren land to grow forestry plantations and in the process are solving two problems.
By planting the trees on land that has already been cleared for a number of years it means an area of pristine rainforest is left untouched. So the carbon sink provided by the natural rainforest is not diminished and is actually added to by the plantation (as it grows). In addition where sustainability is concerned, by processing timber more efficiently plantation forests create the option for natural forests to be managed for other forest values.
Plantation forests or sustainably managed forests as they are sometimes known play an important role in the meeting the world’s sustainable supply needs. With increasing global wealth, global demand for paper and timber is projected to grow significantly over the years ahead. However, global levels of production of forest products will fall far short of increasing demand. In tomorrow’s global economy the most prized products will be natural resources that are produced sustainably.
So from financial standpoints forestry plantations make a hell of a lot of sense. From a quality perspective the trees can be modified to achieve uniformity in terms of species and size, this helps to increase the process and manufacturing efficiency. In Brazil for example, eucalyptus trees planted in forestry plantations are capable of supporting superior tree growth and can grow up to three times faster than native tropical species. This rapid growth means that a eucalyptus tree is fully mature after 6-8 years allowing more timber to be produced in a shorter period of time.
Brazil is in a strong position with operations already established and is fully equipped to provide a variety of credible and sustainable alternatives to traditional products in the global market place. What is surprising though is that Brazil is not only on track to export a large amount of its resources but is also set to consume the rest in local markets. By 2016 Brazil’s infrastructure will have been developed significantly enough for it to host both the World Cup and the Olympic Games. If you add this to Brazil’s growing middle class and housing deficit then all the signs are there for a sustained construction boom across the country. This will allow Brazil to become a major consumer of its own products.
In terms of longevity success will depend upon a key shift towards strategies that are sustainable and where managing the crop intensively will ensure that the full mix of end uses are maximised. In my opinion Brazil is definitely becoming an example of this and is most assuredly one to watch in the coming years.
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April 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 PM
[...] large plants, natural textures, tropical patterns, and lots of color. It's the kind of …Brazilian Plantation Forests to Meet Global Demand | Forestry …Even with ongoing international pressure against deforestation and illegal logging, globally [...]