By Lebogang Mashala
Five small timber growers from KwaZulu-Natal have made history by becoming the first participants in the Sappi Khulisa programme to achieve forest certification through the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in the Sappi Group Scheme for small growers.
This achievement was recently announced by Sappi, a member of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA).
The five timber growers, who have a total of 8,143 hectares of timber area, have been successfully audited and awarded a PEFC Group Scheme certificate. The iMfume Cluster, consisting of more than 20 individual small growers from the Mfume district near Scottburgh, Sobengwe Trading from Ixopo, MG Farming from Richmond, Mclean M from Underberg, and Braecroft Timbers from Underberg are the recipients of this significant award and founding members of the Sappi PEFC Group Scheme.
The Sappi Khulisa Programme is a tree-farming scheme that was established in 1983. It was initially designed to support subsistence farmers who had between one and 20 hectares of land to grow trees for commercial use. Today, the programme has expanded to include community forestry projects, as well as supplementary agro-forestry enterprises such as beekeeping and vegetable farming.
The certification is the result of years of intensive efforts by Sappi, who worked alongside other players in the forestry industry to overcome the barriers that small growers face in achieving certification. This internationally recognized certification provides vital assurance to end-use consumers.
Forest certification is a tool used to ensure responsible forest management practices are implemented, and that wood from certified forests can be identified throughout the supply chain. Certification systems establish specific requirements for certified organizations regarding forest management, wood fiber sourcing, Chain of Custody tracking, and marketing. These systems also provide a framework for third-party auditing, as well as govern the use of promotional and product claims.
Certification allows conscious consumers to choose responsibly sourced wood-based products. It assures consumers that the wood fiber used to manufacture the products they purchase has been legally harvested using sound environmental practices, and that social aspects, such as indigenous rights, have been taken into account. Forest certification and other voluntary codes of conduct play a key role in promoting sustainable consumption and production. They also help combat deforestation, forest degradation, and illegal logging by providing proof of legality and responsible management, harvesting, and manufacturing practices.
In 2021, Sappi made an announcement that it had received the first PEFC endorsed SAFAS (Sustainable African Forest Assurance Scheme) certification in South Africa. According to Duane Roothman, Vice President of Sappi Forests, the process started in 2015 and was a journey that included participating in the development of a Forest Management Standard for South Africa, developing mechanisms to support certification requirements, and in 2018, endorsing the standard and certification procedures.
Roothman said the team developed a certification tool to assess plantations based on several factors, including environmental, social, and economic conditions specific to South Africa.
“After years of collaboration and dedicated commitment to developing a forest certification standard for South Africa, this achievement marks a historical moment in our long journey to support and make forest certification more accessible to the small landowners that participate in our supplier programmes,” he said.
