Speaking on behalf of commercial forestry in South Africa, he set the scene by explaining that the South African landscape is not dominated by trees, and that indigenous forests are highly fragmented, with many trees under threat in certain areas, as they are utilised for building material, fuel and traditional medicine. Historically, these forested areas cover about 0.530 million hectares (ha) or only 0.5% of South Africa’s total land area.
In keeping with the theme of the discussion regarding how forests can be managed to advance the SDGs, Duane pointed out that Sappi’s Khulisa small grower scheme empowers people along the full forestry value chain, from those growing trees to harvesting and transport contractors, while playing a key role in providing a steady supply of quality timber to Sappi. This is an excellent example of SDGs in action – SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG1: No Poverty.
“It is evident that commercial plantation forestry makes a quantifiable difference in an environment where natural forestry is constrained. This is achieved not only by improving degraded land and sequestering carbon, thereby advancing SDG13: Climate Action and SDG15: Life on Land, but also by becoming a key anchor tenant in the rural space and driving the circular economy. By collaborating with commercial entities like Sappi, these forestry value chain participants are at the heart of our purpose of creating a thriving world, and in the process, the targeted SDGs that Sappi has prioritised are being supported and realised in a practical, tangible manner,” he said.
To review the full discussion with contributions from global role-players in the forestry industry, click here.
For more information on how Sappi supports the SDGs through various interventions and tangible examples, view our Sappi Southern Africa Corporate Citizenship report here.
