Sustainability
Sustainable Forest Management
Sustainable forest management is the only viable way forward. The future of the world depends on sustainable production systems capable of meeting people's needs without depleting its resources.
These systems must also contribute in creating decent living conditions for all involved and affected by these activities, while preserving ecosystems & biodiversity.
A growing global middle-class population is driving the increase in demand for services and products such as wood fiber.
Wood is a versatile material that can be used in the production of a wide range of products, such as: housing and furniture, energy production, paper and packaging, textile, biofuels and biochemicals.
The annual global growth in demand for wood fiber corresponds to the total current US wood supply.
High-yielding sustainable forest management in regions that have not fully realized their potential represents an excellent investment opportunity, both from a financial perspective and to contribute to a more sustainable world.
This is why we created SilviPar.
We have set up our operations to meet the coming wood shortage with sustainable and profitable forest management, in one of the world’s best places for wood production, the southeast corner of Paraguay.
Climate
SilviPar's plantations have afforested 18,000 hectares & sequestered more than 600,000 tons of CO2 to date. When the plantations reach their full extent, an estimated 18 million tons of CO2 will be sequestered.
This represents a significant contribution towards climate change mitigation goals, and an important economic upside for the project, as it allows the sale of carbon credits.
SilviPar has become certified under the VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and aims to fully comply with the requirements for CCB (Climate, Community and Biodiversity) Standards certification.
No natural forests are cleared for SilviPar plantations, and the trees are planted on degraded and frequently burnt grazing land, which stores limited volumes of carbon. With a growth rate averaging 45 m3/ha/y, the plantations are estimated to be storing CO2 at a rate of 323 tons of CO2eq per hectare, over and above ground, including soil carbon and litter.
This makes it the one of the most cost-efficient ways available for removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Community
SilviPar’s plantations are located in the provinces of Itapua, Missiones and Caazapa. These are among the poorest of the country with a high share of young population. Cattle ranching and agriculture generates relatively few low-income low skill jobs, characterized by seasonality and low job security. The level of functional illiteracy is ca.35% of the population.
SilviPar's plantations contribute to bringing more wealth & opportunities to the area, through job creation and investments in infrastructure and training. Forestry creates a basis for stable employment throughout the year. The forest plantations of SilviPar have already generated more than 500 jobs, with the total number expected to reach 15x as many as created by the cattle ranching and agriculture.
SilviPar’s policy is to, as far as practically possible, create employment locally. As the operations of SilviPar develop, more skilled labor will be required for harvesting and transport operations. This will require training as well as development on the job, as the jobs become more demanding.
In the longer term, the plantations are expected to become the basis of a local forest industry that will generate additional, stable, and highly qualified jobs, contributing to the development of the region.
SilviPar contributes to wellbeing and the standard of living of the region by committing to the highest standards of health and safety practices, for both its own and its contractors’ employees. SilviPar’s operations are audited annually by an external party for compliance with principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Contractors working for SilviPar are subject to stringent regular internal audits, to ensure that health and safety requirements are met.
There are several areas that are owned or managed by indigenous peoples in the provinces of Itapúa, Misiones and Caazapá. As part of the pre-assessment of land for plantation, SilviPar evaluates potential impacts on indigenous peoples’ legal and customary rights and is committed to respecting indigenous peoples rights in the area it is operating. No land belonging to or managed by indigenous peoples is planted or will become part of SilviPar’s plantations.
Biodiversity
SilviPar has an ambitious biodiversity management program. Within the plantation there are zones set aside for natural reserves that include various ecosystems such as natural forest, wetlands, small lagoons, grasslands and transitional zones between them. This is to create and maintain biodiversity within the area.
The biodiversity of the plantations sites varies depending on the biotope and level of degradation. The areas of high conservation value are identified in the planning phase of the plantation areas and the most valuable sites including migration corridors are set aside as conservation areas. SilviPar has conducted an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), that has collected base line data regarding biodiversity of flora and fauna and identified the main impacts on the biotic environment. Biodiversity is, as part of the management plan, monitored and, management and adaptive measures are decided based on the results of the monitoring.
SilviPar commits to maintain 25 % of its land as protected areas for nature conservation. These areas include both legally protected areas and voluntary reserves. This is a commitment that goes far beyond the legal requirements and the criteria for international forest management certification.
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