BRAZIL – The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá), an association that brings together the productive chain of planted trees, from the field to the industry, completes 7 years this April.

Among the main objectives of the association are active work to align member companies with the highest level of science, technology and socioenvironmental responsibility and act so that Brazilians get to know the sector, which delivers essential products for everyone’s daily lives. To illuminate this discussion, the entity carried out a survey of the volume of trees for industrial purposes planted per day, which reached the mark of 1 million new seedlings cultivated daily.

This is a very significant number, since trees are responsible for removing and storing CO2, one of the greenhouse gases, which causes serious climatic problems. Products generated from pine, eucalyptus and other species planted for industrial purposes store carbon.

The national cellulose reaches the hands of millions of people across the planet in various products such as books, viscose fabrics, toilet papers and packaging. The cultivated trees also produce diapers, mobile floors, pallets, boxes, disinfectants, flavorings, thickeners, solvents, varnishes, glues, synthetic rubber, etc.

These trees are true biorefineries. Almost everything that is now made from fossil materials can be made from the fruits of this cultivation, meeting the consumer demand that requires sustainable and traceable products. Micro fibrillated cellulose, for example, is a source for new fabrics, which require less water and chemical components in their production. Already from lignin it will be possible to make green carbon fiber options.

“This is a sector that plants, harvests and replants trees. There are 1 million trees planted per day, the result of a lot of science and technology applied to sustainability. At a time when Brazil faces one of the worst deindustrialization scenarios, we have a case in the sector to prove that investment in innovation, care for the environment and people are successful in the market, building a past, present and future”, says Paulo Hartung, president of the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá).

This agribusiness places Brazil as a world reference and has a total gross revenue of around BRL 100 billion. Companies in Brazil have planned investments in expansion of BRL 35.5 billion until 2023, destined for forests, new factories, expansions, technology and science.