Answers to why and why add 500,000 hectares with forestation in Uruguay

Bonino, vice president of the union, was one of the speakers at the eighth edition of the Forest Breakfast, held on Tuesday, September 1 at the Radisson Victoria Plaza. In the activity, titled Todays decisions mark the future, initially there was a speech by Lucía Basso, president of the union that makes up the Rural Association of Uruguay (ARU). At the end there was an analysis panel in which the forestry general director of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) participated, Gastón Martínez; the national director of investments of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Isabella Antonaccio; the undersecretary of the Ministry of the Environment (MA), Oscar Caputi; and the director of the SPF, Álvaro Molinari.• • • It is not necessary to spend more, it is necessary to observe where the obstacles are and make decisions. That message was pointed out by Francisco Bonino as the central premise to consider when seeing how to move towards an objective set by the Society of Forestry Producers (SPF): increasing 500,000 hectares with forestation in Uruguay. Bonino, vice president of the union, was one of the speakers at the eighth edition of the Forest Breakfast, held on Tuesday, September 1 at the Radisson Victoria Plaza. In the activity, titled "Todays decisions mark the future", there were initially a speech by Lucía Basso, president of the union that makes up the Rural Association of Uruguay (ARU). MORE NEWSThe problem that the Uruguayan native forest has and what the Forestry Directorate asked of the peopleThe message from the producers at the Forest Breakfast about the decisions that add and those that remain At the closing there was an analysis panel in which the general forestry director of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), Gastón Martínez; the national director of investments of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Isabella Antonaccio; the undersecretary of the Ministry of the Environment (MA), Oscar Caputi; and the director of the SPF, Álvaro Molinari. Why and why add 500,000 hectares Boninos speech was titled Why and why add 500,000 hectares, a proposal for productive growth that the SPF already promoted in previous instances and whose relevance it enhanced with new data and concepts. At the beginning of his presentation, Bonino noted that opportunities continue to be generated for the use of forestry production, citing two examples. On the one hand, batteries made from trees, with carbon derived from lignin that replaces graphite in lithium and sodium battery anodes. On the other hand, wood more resistant than steel, by transforming the cellular structure of wood at a molecular level, obtaining a product 80% lighter than steel and 50% more resistant than steel. Bonino, regarding the global need, reported that global demand for wood will grow up to 49% by 2050, driven by higher incomes in economies emerging, more construction, and the replacement of non-renewable materials with wood, cellulosic textiles and bioenergy. Regarding the forestry model in Uruguay, he indicated that the question is no longer about whether it works, but what is missing to maintain industrial development and continue to grow. It was then that he showed various data to understand what this sector, as an economic engine, generates in wealth and employment. Bonino, when considering the existence of a State policy to support the forestry sector, recalled the existence of a first forestry law (1968) and a second forestry law (1987), noting that in the last 30 years there were more than 30 decrees and associated laws that established changes. Regarding the evolution in the forested area, he detailed different behaviors since the beginning of this century, with emphasis on what happened in the last annual year, when the extent of the new afforestation was less than 1% in relation to the existing area, a situation that generates concern. It was at that moment that he pointed out the reflection at the beginning of this note, that it is not necessary to spend more, it is necessary to observe where the obstacles are and make decisions, in order to move towards forest growth of the desired magnitude. Opportunities to increase forestationThe existence of half a million more forested hectares in Uruguay is, stated Bonino, an opportunity that can be measured in economic growth, employment and exports, given that it will allow, if achieved, an increase in GDP of 2.5%; 16,600 new jobs; and add US$ 1.3 billion in income derived from exports. When undertaking efforts to achieve this goal, there are three axes of action: the regulatory framework (regulatory updating and predictability for investment); logistics, infrastructure and energy (routes, ports and energy availability for the production chain); and industrial and market development (new value-added products and opening of external markets). In relation to the initial axis, he identified as a problem the existence of approval processes without predictable technical criteria or certain deadlines, and as a proposal to evolve to the New Zealand model where instead of asking and waiting, what will be done is notified, it is done and fulfilled. Regarding the second axis, in that case Bonino cited as a problem the existence of high logistics costs compared to the main competitors, citing as an additional difficulty the stoppages that There was in the Port of Montevideo, contributing as a need to establish corridors for trains and the implementation of the railway system that connects productive and industrial areas directly with the port, decisions and investments that would not only benefit the forestry sector, but also the entire agribusiness. Finally, in relation to the third axis, he considered an adversity the unmet need for greater industrial and commercial development to absorb the growth of the timber supply and as a proposal to consider a Forestry Uruguay as a country strategy. 2025.Clear rules and investmentAt the end of his presentation, the vice president of the SPF identified four enabling conditions to achieve the desired growth, relevant to moving forward: the integration of producers with other sectors; carbon, climate and ecosystem services; human capital and innovation; and knowledge and visibility of the sector.