Ec Jk

We’ve touted the benefits of tree-planting, both reforestation—replanting in areas where trees have been cut down for logging, agriculture, or fuel—and afforestation, the planting of trees where none existed before. What we haven’t considered in much detail is tree farming, or planting trees with the intent to harvest them, often for pulp and paper mills.

There are essentially two kinds of pulp: long-fiber pulp used for fine papers and packaging materials, and short-fiber pulp, used in great quantity for newsprint and banknotes and in many other items including toilet paper and disposable diapers. In the US and some other countries, the byproducts from pulp and paper mills are put to other uses, such as in soil amendments (because of their high organic content) or as a component of landfill caps (because of the high clay content). Several organizations in the US also certify the sustainability of tree farms—the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Forest Stewardship Council, the American Tree Farm System, and others.

You might think that with the advent of e-mail (fewer people sending letters) and e-readers (fewer people subscribing to print newspapers) the demand for short-fiber pulp would be dropping, and to some extent it is, but less paper in use also means that less of it is being recycled—which in turn helps boost the demand for virgin fiber. And although falling prices have driven some producers out of business, one country—Brazil—is taking advantage of the reduced competition and moving into the market in a big way. Brazil now has 40% of the world’s short-fiber market. As this article notes, one of Brazil’s largest pulp producers is also looking for new markets for its product, such as biofuels and environmentally friendly substitutes for plastics.

Brazil has a big advantage in its production. In countries in the northern hemisphere, the most common short-fiber-producing tree is pine. Suppliers in Brazil are instead planting faster-growing eucalyptus trees, which thrive in the country’s tropical savannahs and can be harvested in only seven years, as opposed to 20 or more for pine.

Do you think the demand for short-fiber pulp will increase over the long term? And what will be the environmental impact of more diverse tree farms in Brazil and other countries? As the article above points out, one Brazilian supplier has pioneered the use of drones to map the topography of its farms and optimize planting and harvesting. Will new technologies help make these farms more sustainable as well?

StormCon Registration Discount

Early bird registration ends May 1! Receive a discount on full-conference and one- and two-day registration packages. Visit www.StormCon.com for details and to register online.

About the Author

Janice Kaspersen

Janice Kaspersen is the former editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines.