There are over 700,000 hectares of pine plantations in the state – Photo: Disclosure

Have you noticed how much wood is a part of our daily life? It is in the structure of houses, on the floor, furniture, household items, musical instruments and even on paper. But in the end, how to have access to this raw material and extract its resources more responsibly?

After many decades of studying araucaria, imbuya, cedar and cinnamon, Santa Catarina changed the course of its history and invested in pine nuts. The area of ​​pine plantations in the state exceeds 700 thousand hectares.

And the Agro, Health and Collaboration program was even a wood production chain that produces essential goods with a focus on sustainability, commitment to the environment and a model for future generations.

It is important to understand that this type of forest is planted in order to be cut down one day and produce raw materials, as explained by Professor Marcio Navroschi, as a result of forestry and forest improvement:

“We should treat the forest like a plantation, right? This is not a native biodiversity forest. Of course, a planted forest also has a certain biodiversity, it preserves the soil, but it’s a plantation, isn’t it? Like corn, like beans, like soybeans, soon to be harvested, right? So pine forest, eucalyptus forest, any other kind of monoculture, we should stick to the same line. It will be cut down to ensure good.”

Marcio is a professor at UDESC Lajes and teaches forestry, the study of natural and artificial ways to restore and improve forest populations. Regarding the environmental impact caused by the cultivation of some species, he says that eucalyptus has always been considered a “villain” because it dries out the soil. But it’s not that eucalyptus dries out the soil, it’s nothing more than a species that grows very fast and needs more water.

– That is why it is impossible to plant, for example, eucalyptus or pine near springs and reservoirs. There is an environmental issue, but you must follow the law to reduce the impact. That’s why there’s a lot of research and why there’s legislation. And the legislation should also be supported in the technical issue,” he explains.

The professor also says that pine is also often considered harmful to the environment, because people think that nothing grows under it, but he makes it clear that pine has an ecological characteristic, that it is a darker forest.

“- If you increase the distance between the pines, then people will see that there is vegetation under them, that there will be growth, there will be fauna and flora under it.”

There are also benefits to growing these forests, he says, such as reduced pressure on native forests, carbon sequestration, avoiding the use of pesticides, and contributing to the environment itself. The professor says that many regions were drier before reforestation, and it rained more often after reforestation.

“In fact, wood is much more sustainable for the production of goods such as packaging, as opposed to plastic for the production of construction products. So it’s renewable, right?

In this way, forestry manages to establish a good relationship between well-being and productivity, between the conservation of natural resources and economic benefits, a lesson that Santa Catarina knows well. The state is responsible for 35% of the national production of this pine of North American origin, but which has perfectly taken root here.

“Here in Brazil, she achieves much higher productivity than there. It will take more than 50 years to clear the forest there. With the same size here we cut under 20 years. So this is a serious competitive advantage for the Brazilian wood industry compared to other countries,” explains Teddy Raizzel da Cruz, forestry and planning manager at Bernek.

From raw material to final product

Timber is one of the most important sectors of the Santa Catarina agro-industrial chain, and everything that is extracted from it guarantees more than 100,000 jobs in the state – Photo: Disclosure

There are many wooden details that create this important engine of Santa Catarina’s economy, a sector that inspires innovation, quality, safety and sustainability.

Everything comes from pine. After all, if you’re going to plant, wait for it to grow, and then cut it down, you have to be decent and use every last drop – Santa Catarina does it very well. Timber is one of the most important sectors of the agro-industrial chain of Santa Catarina, and everything that is extracted from it guarantees more than 100,000 jobs in the state.

— When I talk about the timber industry, I mean the entire cluster, right? It includes lumber, plywood, real estate, doors, frames, pallets, pulp paper, in short, countless timber products. Even power generation,” says Paulo Cesar da Costa, president of Sindimadeira.

An example of this is the case of Adriana, the manager of a company specializing in boards, planers, and broom handles. After seeing the amount of wood chips, like sawdust, that came out of the machines of her father’s company, she decided to start another company.

“This kind of waste comes from my family’s sawmill and was sold to some chicken coops, but there was still a lot left. So I went to a conference and saw a product called wood pellets that is made from this residue. Then I had the idea to reuse this material and create a product with more added value,” he explains.

The business was successful and today there is not even a shortage of raw materials. This is due to the fact that today pellets are widely used. It is a kind of wooden tablet that can be used for burning, in hotels for water heating, in swimming pools, gyms, pizzerias, for energy production, and even for cat beds.

tree and science

It is a science for the rational integrated and sustainable technological use of the environment – Photo: Disclosure

We are more and more connected, but is a world without paper, books, packaging possible? Unlike plastic, wood is biodegradable and fundamental to our lives, and cellulose could further ensure the sustainable use of our forests in the future.

Robson Silveira Netto, a forestry engineer, explains that cellulose is one of the components of wood, that approximately 50% of wood is cellulose, and that it is used for a variety of purposes, from printing paper to sanitary and toilet paper; for medicine, in the production of dressings and for coating tablets.

“There are several and several applications that the industry is discovering for how to make pulp in order to completely reuse 100% of this material,” he adds.

And if you have ever wondered how to save paper and take care of trees, know that there are those who are learning to ensure the best use and benefit of our forests is the mission of the Forestry Engineering course at UDESC Lages. The institution is one of those that provide skilled labor for the forest market of the entire region.

“- When we talk about wood processing technology, we are talking not just about wood, not only about a tree trunk. It can be fruits, leaves, branches, bark. When we talk about energy production, for example, we work with all parts of the tree and even with the forest,” says Marta Andreja Brand, alumni program coordinator.

The role of Prof. Marcio Nawroschi is to sow research and share knowledge. While pine is thriving in the region, research in partnership with companies is leading to the search for new species – this is the case with the sequoia, the tallest pine in the world.

He says that this type of wood is easier to work with than pine, as pine has a low natural strength. Sequoia does not need to be treated with wood, as it is not attacked by termites. And this is one of the characteristics that make this wood excellent.

Eucalyptus also helps with other research, and Marcio explains that today, with climate change, they are working with tools in relation to stress, such as heat stress. In case of warming, what will be the consequence: one species adapts better than another?

This is science for the rational integrated and sustainable technological use of the environment, this is knowledge that comforts and teaches, this is a guarantee of employment and income for the region, a guarantee of progress, and for the country an example of sustainability and respect for laws and the environment.

Do you want to know more about it? Enjoy and watch the episode “Agro, health and cooperation” in its entirety.