The principal mission of Lwarcel’s Forestry Division is to supply raw materials for the production of pulp at the industrial unit in Lençóis Paulista. To this end we produce sustainable forests located in 26 municipalities in the region, where we carry out advanced forest management in planted areas totalling approximately 32,000 hectares, on our own land as well as leased land and land cultivated with government incentives.
Management ot the lands planted in forest by Lwart is undertaken in accordance with principles and procedures intended to achieve maximum forest productivity, but also to insure conservation of the productive capacity of the land and of natural resources and processes.
Lwarcel understands that continuous improvement in the productivity, quality, and sustainability of its forests greatly depends on continual research and experimentation in forestry technology, through which new knowledge is acquired and new products developed. For this reason Lwarcel engages in research in the areas of quality control, genetic improvement, forest management, soil conservation, and control of diseases and pests, all with a view toward technological advancement and, consequently, continuous improvement of its forests.
In 2006, Lwarcel Celulose achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for its stewardship of 17,000 hectares of planted eucalyptus forest and for the chain of custody in its production process.
FSC certification attests that Lwarcel’s forestry operations meet international standards of forest stewardship and are regarded as well managed. The main factors considered for certification are environmental responsibility, working conditions, compliance with current legislation, social commitment of the company to the community, and gurantees of sustainability and continuity.
The Chain of Custody Certificate gurantees control of the origins of raw materials untilized in the manufacture of pulp and traceability through the finished product.
Planted forests in Brazil
According to the 2009 Statistical Annual of the Brazilian Association of Planted Forest Producers (ABRAF), Brasil has 6.6million hectares of planted forests, an area equal to .77% of Brazil’s territory. A source of renewable biomass energy and of environmentally correct products, planted forests restore worn-out areas, preserve important ecosystems and species threatened with extinction, and are responsible for the creation of jobs and affluence in areas distant from Brazil’s urban centers.
Eucalyptus Cultivation in Brazil
The Brazilian Silviculture Society (SBS) makes available in digital format the book “A Cultura do Eucalipto no Brasil" (“Eucalyptus Cultivation in Brazil”). To access it, go to www.sbs.org.br.
Click below to see the video produced by the Brazilian Pulp Producers Assocaition (BRACELPA) for COP 15, held in Denmark in December, 2009, showing the benefits of eucalpytus cultivation.
Silviculture
The silviculture department is responsible for developing the eucalyptus forests. This development can be done in three ways: planting, reformation or regeneration. Planting refers to the first planting of eucalyptus made in an area that was previously occupied by another species or was a pasture. Reform refers to planting seeds between lines of a planting that has already been collected, with the idea of increasing the area’s productivity. Regeneration is also referred to as coppicing and is the formation of a forest from the shoots of collected trees.
At Lwarcel, management of plantations is oriented by anAnnual Silviculture Plan. This plan of activities is based in an identification of areas to be planted, reformed or regenerated and other information pertinent to the area. The following information is included:
- Schedule of activities
- Report of areas per phase (age)
- Supply Purchase Plan
- Land Acquisition Plan
- Development Plan
- Seed Production Plan
- Cash Flow Statement
Technical and operational care are taken in both planting and maintenance of the plantations with the goal of ensuring high productivity, minimizing production costs and maintaining environmentally stable conditions. Work done by teams in the field is closely monitored in order to guarantee standards of quality.
Silviculture activities are divided as follows (links):
HARVEST AND TRANSPORT
Harvesting is planned and executed with the aim of preserving worker safety and minimal environmental impact. Through a semi-mechanized process and debarking in the field, currently 800,000 m3 of wood for pulp and 70,000 m3 of wood for energy are produced annually.
The areas to be harvested annually are defined by the Annual Harvest Plan. When defining harvest areas, as well as defining the cutting sequence for harvest, care is taken to avoid cutting large stands within the same area. This minimizes exposure of large areas of soil in the same micro-basin, impacts on the landscape and disturbances to the surrounding area.
Forest harvesting involves felling, removing the tops, chainsaw bucking and mechanized debarking and removal.
The wood is transported to the plant on trucks specialized for this type of transport and that meet legislative requirements and standards for transport safety.
Genetic Enhancement
Through genetic enhancement technology, the company seeks to:
- obtain individuals and/or populations adapted to the soil and climate conditions in the region;
- increase resistance to pests and diseases;
- improve forest productivity (wood volume);
- improve wood quality (basic density, cellulose yield, etc.);
- maintain genetic variability, thereby guaranteeing selection program continuity.
Improvement program:
In the long term, population improvement is based in cyclical selection processes. This selection is made up of four main phases: acquiring genetic material, evaluation, selection and recombination.
Development of this program is based in the use and expansion of a genetic base from which to generate and select trees that are increasingly better adapted to soil and climate from the region, more productive and more technologically suited for pulp production.
The following techniques are used to achieve improved results: formation of Seed Production Areas, selection of superior trees for cloning and production of seeds through controlled pollination.
Therefore genetic improvement allows for the number of individual trees with sought-after characteristics to increase with each generation, facilitating constant improvement in productivity, adaptability and wood quality for the commercially planted trees. As a result, wood consumption and use of chemical products for pulp processing are reduced, thereby decreasing costs and lowering demand on forest land.
Forest Development
A forest development program was initiated by Lwarcel in 2003. By the end of 2009, more than 5.009 hectares were contracted for this partnership.
In order to participate in the program, the property must meet the following criteria:
- minimum of 5 hectares of planting area at no more than 40km distance from the plant;
- minimum of 30 hectares of planting area at no more than 90km distance from the plant; and
- minimum of 50 hectares of planting area at no more than 120km distance from the plant.
- topography that allows for mechanized planting and harvest operations;
- access for wood transport trucks;
- legislative compliance with regards to permanent preserve areas and legal reserves;
- presentation of documents such as ITR, CCIR and property registration that are current.
Contracts are made for a period of seven years. The company provides seeds and technical assistance in addition to guaranteeing the purchase of produced wood at market price at the end of the contract. In exchange, the property owner agrees to sell 95% of the produced wood or to otherwise deliver a portion of the harvested wood as reimbursement in volume proportional to the number of supplied seeds. Expenses for supplies and labor for planting and maintenance are paid by the property owner while the harvest is performed by Lwarcel.
As a result of this development, rural property owners generate additional revenue, optimize their land, labor and equipment. The plantations add value to the properties and, because of Lwarcel's demands and standards, increase the environmental consciousness of property owners.
Those interested in participating in the Development Program can contact Lwarcel’s Forestry Division at the following telephone numbers:
+55 (14) 3269-5080
+55 (14) 3269-5083
FSC
In 2006, Lwarcel Celulose received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification for management of its 17,000 hectares of planted eucalyptus forests as well as for its chain of custody and production process. The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit organization made up of environmental and social groups and forest producers who work to improve forest management worldwide.
Certification is a voluntary process. In other words, there is no legislative obligation for a company to be certified. FSC certification verifies that Lwarcel’s planted forests are well managed and attests to the high degree of commitment and responsibility the company has taken on in partnership with its employees, neighbors, landlords, partners, and local communities. Chain of custody certification attests that the product has been credibly handled at all points in the production process – from point it leaves the forest to the moment it has been transformed into a final product.
FSC accredits certifying companies throughout the world who conduct auditing and certification processes using FSC principles and criteria based in the following principles of sustainable development: business that is Economically Viable, Environmentally Correct and Socially Beneficial. Lwarcel was audited and certified by Scientific Certification Systems, a North American FSC-Accredited certifier.
