SAFCOL in the bigger picture Godwin Kowero Executive Secretary African Forestry Forum (AFF) SAFCOL Forestry Industrialisation Conference October 4-5, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa

The need for broader operational context Some key issues: 1. The South African forestry sector has not sufficiently raised its national profile. Consequences: The industry, including SAFCOL is relatively obscure, is poorly marketed, and in need for enhancement of a positive image The many opportunities for improving people’s welfare, national incomes and the environment are not sufficiently explored The need to link the industry to broader national development goals and initiatives The need to align the industry to developments in the international arena

Current situation at SAFCOL Business environment: Softwood plantation forestry establishment and management Timber harvesting, processing and marketing Public sector is the primary market , mainly for fast-constructed timber frame structures Limited private sector market focus and by extension rural communities Most operations are in largely underdeveloped rural areas Existence of vast land claims through land restitution process. Forests and trees outside forests present an opportunity on such lands

Aligning SAFCOL with national priorities and international developments As a public institution SAFCOL should demonstrate tangible contributions and profile pathways towards: Improvement of livelihoods of rural communities as a means towards poverty eradication 2. Environmental protection on adjacent land occupied by stakeholder rural communities …..in addition to current contributions. How: Exploit opportunities on land obtained through land restitution process: For farm forestry, and Small scale forest plantations …….both to supply SAFCOL

Aligning SAFCOL with national priorities and international developments Managing stakeholder rural communities Requires re-orientation of SAFCOL production and marketing and trade policies and practices Not all land will be suitable for plantation forestry (current SAFCOL focus) Farmers might not have the tree culture compatible to the one prevailing at SAFCOL Farmers have diversified land uses (e.g. as seen in agroforestry systems) Land holdings for rural communities are largely small and not be amenable to current wood harvesting technologies

Aligning SAFCOL with national priorities and international developments Managing stakeholder rural communities (cont.) Individual farmers have to be organised into entities like associations or producer groups to effectively partner with SAFCOL Producer Groups Individual farmers Producer Groups

Raising the profile and positive image of SAFCOL Managing stakeholder rural communities (cont.) Potential use of land obtained through land restitution process……examples from other African countries: 1. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR)

Raising the profile and positive image of SAFCOL Managing stakeholder rural communities (cont.) 2. Agroforestry systems-eastern and southern Africa

Raising the profile and positive image of SAFCOL Managing stakeholder rural communities (cont.) Farm forestry-includes any trees on farm land which are managed to produce saleable products such as timber, charcoal or carbon credits. Now being used to include the commercial management of native forest on farms as well. Farmers will need various forms of support including: quality germplasm (planting stock) support for pests and diseases Tree/forest management , harvesting and marketing and trade. capacity building in these and other forestry related issues

Raising the profile and positive image of SAFCOL Managing stakeholder rural communities (cont.) For FMNR and agroforestry systems SAFCOL could: Explore uses of the timber that comes from such land, promote its good management, harvesting, processing and marketing Explore other products of good commercial value, like honey and mushrooms, promote their quality production marketing and trade------expands SAFCOL products range Assess forest carbon on such farms and facilitate its trade -SAFCOL could buy this carbon to offset its emissions from own production

Raising the profile and positive image of SAFCOL All the three will : Increase incomes to local communities, Address broader national goals like poverty eradication, and environmental protection, Address broader international goals and initiatives like SDGs, climate change-REDD+, rehabilitation of degraded lands, etc. In addition: 1.SAFCOL will facilitate the country to monitor and report on compliance to multilateral environmental agreements and initiatives from its own activities. 2. SAFCOL will have aligned its focus to much broader perspectives that have stronger national and global appeal, thus raising its relevance, profile and acceptance. As the only state owned forest company, SAFCOL should become a trend setter in the wood industry.

Thank you For more information contact: Executive Secretary African Forest Forum (AFF) United Nations Avenue, Gigiri P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Phone: +254 20 722 4203. Fax: +254 20 722 4001/4181 Email: exec.sec@afforum.org Website: www.afforum.org