The United Nations International Day of Forests on 21 March 2017 will be marked by Forestry South Africa with the launch of an information and illustration-rich website, ‘Forestry Explained’. The International Day of Forests is about celebrating all forests, indigenous and commercial.      

Commercial forests are often forgotten despite the fact that they touch our lives in a myriad of ways. “From roof trusses and benches, to paper, packaging and tissue and the cellulose used in food and medicine, fibre from commercially grown trees plays an integral part in everyday life,” says Forestry South Africa executive director Michael Peter. “If we were to remove wood and paper-based products from our daily routines, we would soon appreciate the important function they perform.”

An indispensable sector

He adds that there is also more to forestry than planting and harvesting trees. “Thorough research, planning and management goes into keeping trees, and the land on which they grow, healthy and productive. The sector also provides jobs and supports communities.” Add to this the diverse animal and plant species that call forestry-owned land home, and you have an environmetally conscious sector that delivers an array of renewable, carbon neutral and versatile end-products.

At a local and personal level, forestry touches people – through the products they use every day without even knowing it – and communities, through education and skills development. Forestry also has a positive influence on climate change mitigation, provides a sustainable alternative to the deforestation of natural forests and is a renewable source of energy and construction materials.

One-stop guide to forestry

The new portal www.forestryexplained.co.za offers itself as ‘a beginner’s guide to forestry in South Africa’ and caters for users of all ages. It covers the basics of forestry and forest products, and everything from water-use to recreation, pest control, ownership and end-uses.

This one-stop resource offers in-depth but easy-to-read content supported by well-illustrated infographics and additional links for those who want to explore the industry further. It is ideal for learners and teachers.

Sustainably managed commercial forests should be celebrated for the benefits they bring to our daily life. To do this we need to understand them and the complex ecosystems that they are. Forestry Explained does this. It’s well worth a visit.

The Forestry Explained website supplements Forestry South Africa’s long-standing online directory platform www.forestry.co.za.

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Forests – in all forms – are essential to life on our planet. They provide clean air, water and climate regulation. As a renewable resource, forests are an important part of the solution to meeting global needs for foods, fuel, fibre, medicine and other essential products to our daily lives.

The global forest products industry is inherently renewable. ICFPA members are committed to sustainable forest management with some 300 million hectares of certified areas from which is sourced a significant amount of wood fibre used by the industry.
“By following best practices, well-managed forests of all types are a positively contribution to the provision of distinct products and services that are essential for human well-being and development. Thus our industry is helping to alleviate climate change impacts while provides social inclusion”, said ICFPA president Elizabeth de Carvalhaes.

“South Africa’s pulp and papermaking industry is built on the country’s large plantation forest industry, explains Jane Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) which is represented on the ICFPA. “Our plantations are managed in a sustainable manner, which means that as one tree is felled in one part of the forest, another is planted in another area. This ensures that the supply of trees for pulp and paper making is renewed into the future.”

Molony adds that trees are the source for thousands of products – from traditional products such as timber, pulp and paper and biomass energy to liquid biofuels, biochemicals, biomaterials, nanofibres or nanocrystals of cellulose to improve products used in such applications as automobiles, aerospace, defence, etc.

ICFPA is proud to represent the contributions of the global forest products industry to sustainable development, ensuring that environmental, social and economic benefits are available to current and future generations.

The 2015 ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report highlights the industry’s improvements across a range of sustainability indicators and focuses on the industry’s contributions toward a green economy, including the reduction on Greenhouse gas emissions intensity, the uptake in certified sustainably managed forests and a high paper recycling rate.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. Together, ICFPA members represent over 90 percent of global paper production and half of global wood production.

For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org.

The post Celebrating trees on International Day of Forests 2016 first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

Proposals should relate to the following: 

• The extraction and modification of hemicelluloses from mill liquors. This should include the development of processes to recover, process and test the economic viability of products.

• Nanocellulose production from waste streams (typically paper machine sludge) and other biomass feedstocks available.

• The development of pyrolysis processes to recover liquid and solid products for beneficiation for use in the chemical and fuel sectors.

• The recovery of liquid fuels/chemicals using fermentation-type processes suitable for the processing of liquid waste streams for the manufacture and recovery of alcohols and bio-plastics.

No more than three proposals from each institution will be considered.

Please include:

• Overall project scope, clearly defined deliverables and motivation.
• Innovation and uniqueness.
• Time-line with clearly defined target dates and intermediate hold points.
• Overall cost and expected cash flow over project life.
• Resources required, with particular emphasis on up-skilling human resources, including number of masters and/or doctorates that could be developed.
• Potential for entrepreneurial development and community upliftment.

Email:              patti.webster [at] pamsa [dot co dot za]

Queries:           011 803 5063

Closing date:   Monday, 5 October 2015

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