Veracel: Restoring the Atlantic rainforest makes sound economic sense
Eucalyptus stands and natural forest planted side-by-side
By Jyrki Iivonen in Eunápolis, Brazil
"We are not responsible for the mistakes of the past, and nor can we be blamed for the destruction of the rainforests", says Kaisa Tarna, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Veracel.
Only half a century ago, the southern part of Bahia was all rainforest and nothing else, but in the 1970s a road was driven through the state. This opened the door to the loggers of timber companies and to cattle-raising operations. In the space of two decades, the natural forests were cut down almost to the last stump.
Veracel owns around 150,000 hectares of land, of which roughly half has been set aside for fast-growing eucalyptus trees and the remainder for conservation and environmental protection, seeking to bring about the recovery of the Atlantic forest. "The company is ultimately only quite a small landowner. There is more land on offer, so Veracel is not an obstacle to possible land reform moves", says Tarna.
The Veracel plantations are certified according to the Brazilian system, but Tarna says the longer-term aim is to get FSC certification, acknowledged by conservationist groups. The documents are a means of the company's demonstrating to its clients that the forests are maintained in a sustainable fashion.
Veracel has set about restoring the Atlantic rainforest at an annual rate of 400 hectares. The natural forests are concentrated in river valleys, and the flatter areas are reserved for eucalyptus plantations. "We are working towards a mosaic landscape, in which the plantations and the rainforest are intermingled."
The natural forests are being planned as ecological corridors, allowing animals to move from one area to another. The Veracel team are confident that even man-made corridors such as these will work in practice.
Tarna argues that forest restoration makes sound business sense.
"If the plantations get hit by a pest of some kind, then in a monoculture setting the spread of the disease would be swift and deadly. If the eucalyptus stands are kept separate from each other by swathes of natural forest, it is possible to restrict any damage that may occur."
She also admits that reforestation is essential from the perspective of the company's public image. "There are no alternatives, since we are easily associated with the destruction of the rainforest - even if we have not been responsible for it", she notes.
Veracel's co-owner Aracruz has been blamed for its poor treatment of the indigenous Indian population in the region, and Veracel itself has not escaped criticism altogether.
The company owns an area of a couple of thousand hectares that the Indians claim as their own.
The land dispute is expected to play out through the Brazilian court system for a good long time.
"Whatever the outcome, we will respect it. We are not about to make trouble over such a small piece of land, since it will not threaten our supply of wood to the mill", says Tarna.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 21.5.2005
More on this subject:
 Pulp mill profits trickle down to Brazil's poor
Links:
Veracel Sustainability Programmes
JYRKI IIVONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
jyrki.iivonen@hs.fi
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