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Finnish Forest Association
Press Release
06/20/2012
Africa’s first Forest Academia succeeded
The Forest Academy is one of the ways to encourage developing green economy in Tanzania. The country is in danger of facing timber shortage.
The Tanzanian forests are shrinking but the population increases. Five times the current amount of trees should be planted in order to meet the growing need for timber. But, not enough is invested in forestry. Therefore capital, seeds, knowledge and current technology are missing. Tanzania is in danger of facing timber shortage.
This analyses made by Professor Yonika Ngagan from Sokoine University of Agriculture was the starting point for discussion in the first ever Forest Academy organized in Tanzania and Africa. The Forest Academy met in May in the region of Iringa in the uplands of Southern Tanzania. The programme had been drafted to highlight the economic benefits the sustainable use of forests brings.
The event was carried out by the Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development. The Dar es Salaam-based Institute is a joint project of Finland and Tanzania. Institute’s Programme Director, Dr. Tapani Vaahtoranta, says that the Tanzanian Forest Academy is a part of a larger scheme called Green Growth Platform. The platform aims to encourage discussion about forests and other issues connected to green economy. The Tanzanian Vice-President, who is responsible for environmental issues, is the Patron of the Green Growth Platform.
The very first Forest Academy took place in Iringa, because the majority of Tanzanian forest industry is concentrated on this region. The drive from Dar es Salaam to Iringa took nine hours, during which the participants could see one of the reasons behind the shrinking of forests: charcoal is sold along the roads, says Tapani Vaahtoranta.
According to the Forest Academy concept, the programme included both seminars and visits to the field. The tour started with the state-owned Sao Hill Forest Plantation, which represents about half of the forests planted by the state and produces around 70 percent of the raw material needed by the forest industry. No bucking, or dividing the log for different uses according to quality requirements, was done on the plantation. This means that logs suitable for sawn timber are used in paper making and a part of the timber felled is left unused in the felling site.
In addition, the participants visited the 200-hectare farm of a private timber grower.
The third place visited was a sawmill owned by the Norwegian Green Resources. Originally, in the 1970’s, the sawmill was built with the help of Norwegian development aid. When Tanzania started to privatize state properties later on, Green Resources bought the sawmill. The sawmill is about to take a new production line in use.
The fourth destination has a similar history. Due to the privatization policy, Mufindi Paper Mills (MPM) is now owned by Kenyans. Plans have been made to invest in to the Mills to increased production. MPM was originally built along the Tazara-railway running between Dar es Salaam and Lusaka. However, the condition of the railway has been let to deteriorate so much that MPM is forced to transport the paper their produce by trucks on gravel roads.
One of the goals of the Forest Academy for Decision-Makers is to bring together representatives from different parts of society. This kind of networking is needed in Africa. Tapani Vaahtoranta says that it is important that the first African Forest Academy was a success. The Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development is eager to organize a second Forest Academy, after processing results are analysed and mistakes learned from.
The Institute bought the concept from its developer, the Finnish Forest Association, in 2011 as a part of development aid project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The deal included the training of three Tanzanian facilitators in Helsinki in spring 2011.
Further information
Mr Harri Hänninen, Director of the Forest Academy for Decision Makers, Finnish Forest Association, gsm. +358 45 6575 441, email: harri.hanninen@smy.fi
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