Plantation development
There is a worldwide interest in plantation forestry driven by climate change, deforestation, and growing demand of different forest products. In addition, plantation forests are an attractive target for investment funds. The most promising areas for new plantations are in Latin America and in South East Asia. In addition, several African countries have become attractive tree growing targets.
Expansion of world’s forest cover is considered as one of the key means to prevent global warming. The importance of forest cover is also emphasised in the Stern report that gave high-level insights to climate change issues. The facts that forest ecosystems store more carbon than atmosphere and that deforestation is the second largest source of carbon emissions after energy production are widely recognised.
Forest production is shifting from north to south
The world’s forest industry supplies an increasing share of its wood from tropical and sub-tropical plantations because tree growing is more competitive in the south than in the north. In addition to fibre production, tropical forest plantations create opportunities to local wood product industries and service providers. Consequently, plantation ventures can contribute substantially into sustainable economic development in often remote and poor rural areas.
Indufor has unique knowledge in plantation forestry
Development of profitable and sustainable plantation forestry requires combination of expertise in several complex areas such as climatic and soil conditions, species selection, forest genetics, plantation technology, biodiversity, soil and water conservation, landscape and environmental planning, harvesting and transport solutions, and local community development. Applied scientific research is increasingly important and essential for sustainable silviculture.
Indufor plantation databank coverage
| Contacts: | Petri Lehtonen Marjo Maidell |
Our services:
- Screening and assessment of potential new plantation sites
- Pre-feasibility/feasibility studies for plantations, including financial analysis and wood cost calculations
- Valuation of forest assets
- Social risk assessments and environmental monitoring
