Challenges and strategies for the development of brazilian forest sector

Vitor Afonso Hoeflich (Brazilian Agricultural Research Enterprise / UFPR-Federal University of Paraná) vitor@cnpf.embrapa.br
Marcos Vinicius Giongo Alves (UFPR-Federal University of Paraná) malves@creapr.org.br
Marco Aurelio Monteiro Tuoto (STCP Engenharia de Projetos Ltda.) mtuoto@stcp.com.br
Henrique Soares Koehler (UFPR-Federal University of Paraná) koehler@ufpr.br

GENERAL ISSUES FOREST RESOUCES Forest plantations incorporate new technology available, leading to
improvements in the forest productivity. Besides the technological improvements,
The Amazon forest is the largest tropical forest in the world, with its unique is worth mentioning that environmental and social gains are also detectable.
The activities related to the forest sector are responsible for the generation
biodiversity and volume of water. These references indicate the great planting potential of the Brazilian industry,
of an important portion of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as
Of the 850 million hectares of the domestic territory, approximately 550 million granting their better competition pattern (SBS, 2004).
well as for the creation of a great number of job. In 2006, the forestry sector
hectares are covered by native forests. Of this total, about 2/3 they are formed
contributed with approximately 3.5% of the total GDP, which represented
by the Amazonian forest, and the remain by open pasture, Caatinga, evergreen CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
USD 37.3 billion (Table 01).
Atlantic Forest and its ecosystems associates (IBAMA, 2002). OF BRAZILIAN FOREST SECTOR
The tropical forest dense cover more than 350 million hectares, and 288 million
TABLE 01 - Socioeconomic indicators of Brazilian forestry sector (2006) hectares (82.3% of the total) can be considered as potentially productive natural
New Institutional Structure
Indicator Forestry Sector % forests.
The open forest and other forest formations cover 205 million of hectares, which Ü The private sector needs a stronger identity to support the national forest
3.5% development;
GDP USD 37.3 billion 172 million hectares are of potentially productive forests (IBAMA, 2002).
of total GDP Ü A strategic program to strenght institutional capability, both public and
In 2000, the decennial survey of the FAO indicated that Brazil had 544 million of
1.4% of national private, must be developed;
Income taxes USD 5.2 billon hectares of native forests and 5 million hectares of forest plantations, which
income Ü Public institutions must improve their monitoring, control, command and
added gave to the country 64.5% of the forest covering.
Job Positions (direct and 8.7% of total working educational capability to meet their mission;
8.5 million
indirect) population Ü Creation of public agency with focus on production and marketing of
6.2% of total forest products, in particular those from forest plantations.
Exports USD 8.5 billion
exports
1.3 % of total Raw material availability
Imports USD 1.2 billion Ü Incentives to silviculture in small and medium properties;
imports
Ü A mass media campaign presenting social, economic and environmental
14.6% of total trade
Trade surplus USD 6.8 billion
surplus
benefits of forest plantations;
Source: ABIMCI (2006) Ü Explaining and teaching the population about the social, economic and
environmental benefits of forest plantations.
BRAZILIAN BIOMAS Sector policies
Ü Ecological and economical zoning of forest plantations;
Ü Investments in tecnological education and media campaigns;
Ü Guaranty of legal stability for forest production in the medium and long
run.

Natural Tropical Forest (Amazon) Technological development and labor training

Softwood Plantation (Pine)
Hardwood Plantation (Eucalypt)
According to ABRAF(2007), Brazil had in 2006 5.4 million of hectares of planted
forests of Eucalyptus and Pine species. Eucalyptus represented 61.4% of the
Brazilian forest plantations and 57% of them were planted in the State of Minas
Gerais. The planted area of Pine species accounts for 38.6% of the total forest
plantations, mainly in the State of Paraná. The average growth rate in the
3
Brazilian forest plantations has a yield of 35m /ha/year, however a yield of
3
70m /ha/year can be obtained in highly productive sites.
Ü Investments in breeding programs;
Ü Better understanding of relations between production and environmental
aspects of silviculture;
Ü Multiple uses and applications for forest products;
Ü Development of products with higher aggregate value;
Ü Silvicultural research of a broader range of forest trees;
Ü Better integration of universities and the market.
Financial Resources
Ü Development of mechanisms of payment for services of the forests;
Ü Creation of reforestation and forest plantations funds.

REFERENCES

ABIMCI. Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Madeira Processada

Brazilian biomas km² % Mecanicamente. A Importância do Setor para o Brasil. Disponível em
<http://www.abimci.com.br>. 2006.
Amazônia 4,196,943 49.29
ABRAF. Abraf Statistical Yearbook 2007: base year 2006/ABRAF. Brasília,
Cerrado 2,036,448 23.92
2007. 80p.
Mata Atlântica (evergreen Atlantic Forest) 1,110,182 13.04
IBAMA. Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais
Caatinga 844,453 9.92 Renováveis. GEO BRASIL 2002 Perspectivas do Meio Ambiente no Brasil.
Pampa 176,496 2.07
Brasília, 397pp. 2002.

Pantanal 150,355 1.76 IBGE. Instituto Brasileiro de Geográfia e Estatística. Mapa de Biomas
Brasileiros. Rio de janeiro. 2004.
Total area 8,514,877 100.0
Source: IBGE (2004)
FIGURE 01 - Average growth rate in several countries. SBS. Sociedade Brasileira de Silvicultura. Disponível em
<http://www.sbs.org.br>. 2004.