Anchoring rural development and driving the circular economy
Sappi Forests owns and leases 401,000 hectares (ha) of land, of which 262,000 ha is planted and 139,500 ha is unplanted natural areas set aside and maintained to conserve the natural habitat and biodiversity found there, following best practice principles. All our land is FSC™ (FSC™ N003159) and PEFC (PEFC/01-44-43) certified ensuring adherence to the highest environmental standards.
Sappi Forests, directly and indirectly, employs over 10,000 people through its own and contractor personnel. Sappi Forests prides itself on sustainable forestry practices, playing a vital role as an anchor tenant in the rural landscapes of South Africa. By driving the circular economy and supporting rural development, Sappi Forests secures low-cost wood to maintain competitive margins for its manufacturing operations while actively conserving biodiversity and creating shared value for neighbouring communities.
Sappi Forests’ commitment to the forestry value chain is evident in our highly successful and inclusive Enterprise Supplier Development Programme, Sappi Khulisa. This programme benefits more than 4,000 timber suppliers directly. In addition, we make use of the services of hundreds of other contractors and suppliers, including medium, small, and micro enterprises, who provide us with essential services such as harvesting, transport and logistics, firefighting, silviculture, maintenance, and security.
Our innovation helps keep our supply sustainable
Trees, like all crops, are susceptible to pests and diseases. With increased global trade, South Africa has seen a rise in non-native insect pests, while climate models predict a 3ºC to 7ºC increase in mean annual temperatures, further escalating risks by enhancing pest reproduction, survival, and spread. In response, we focus on breeding trees that are resistant to pests and diseases, as well as resilient to frost and drought. Our research teams specialise in areas such as stress detection, climate change predictions, site classification and optimisation, risk mapping, and biological control measures. Sappi Forests, a leader in research and development, actively mitigates these challenges through improved site-species matching, the use of enhanced genetic planting stock, and the introduction of specific hybrids developed through conventional breeding programs.
There are four commercial nurseries which are collectively able to provide 62million saplings per year, for own use and external supply. Our breeding programmes ensure that we maintain a broad genetic base for breeding purposes. We implement a robust process to test and evaluate tree performance based on growth, wood properties and pest and disease resistance before commercialisation of any new varieties. Site selection and plantation management. We closely match wood fibre with mill requirements. Carefully matching growing sites and species or hybrids planted, ensures optimal conditions for tree growth.
What is FSC™ and PEFC certification?
Certification helps consumers choose responsibly sourced wood-based products. It gives assurances that the woodfibre used in their products has been legally harvested in accordance with sound environmental practices, and that social aspects, such as indigenous rights, have been taken into account.
Forest certification is made up of three different processes that are checked annually:
Forest Management: Verifying that the forest is responsibly-managed and responsibly-harvested
Chain of Custody (CoC): This certification traces the origins of woodfibre from forest to final product. Manufacturers that purchase certified woodfibre and sell forest-based products with certification claims must achieve and maintain CoC certifications
Fibre Sourcing : This ensures that no controversial sources are mixed with the certified woodfibre.
Committed to Zero Deforestation
Sappi neither harvests nor buys woodfibre that originates from tropical natural forests, and our wood sourcing causes zero deforestation. Our commitment to zero deforestation means knowing the source of woodfibre, and ensuring that suppliers implement practices to promptly regenerate forests post-harvest, which is required under the global forest certification standards that Sappi is committed to upholding.
Helping our community grow with us
In South Africa, our Sappi Khulisa Enterprise Supplier Development programme empowers small-scale forestry growers by integrating them into our supply chain and fostering sustainable livelihoods. Since its inception in 1983, the Sappi Khulisa tree-farming scheme has been an inspiring example of positive social impact and shared value. This initiative not only strengthens the security of our woodfibre supply chain but also uplifts rural communities by equipping them to become sustainable participants in the forestry value chain.
Our objective is to provide consistent and clear guidelines and assistance to Sappi’s contracted growers, to ensure the sustainable development and protection of our forests for future generations. Sappi’s ‘Tree Farming Guidelines for Private Growers’ cover topics such as species selection and planting through to harvesting and extraction and provide much-needed information on fundamental issues such as safety and proper planning and scheduling processes.
Watch the Sappi Khulisa video here.
If you wish to become a private grower, the guidelines are split into five parts below
Part 1 - Forest management
Part 2 - Silviculture Part
Part 3 - Forest engineering
Part 4 - Innovations in forestry
Part 5 - Annexures