Forestry Research Associates

FRA calls for Rousseff Forestry Act veto

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 17 May, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) is joining the campaign to increase pressure on Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff to veto the Forestry Bill.

FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specialising in sustainable forestry and forestry investments, has added its voice to those of environmental groups all over the world who are campaigning for the forestry bill to be thrown out by the popular president. The bill would allow those carrying out illegal logging to get away without paying fines through an amnesty. It would also open up areas of forest to loggers to make way for the cultivation of riverbanks regions.

During Rousseff’s campaign trail in 2010, she promised to veto the bill, which campaigners claim threatens the future of the Amazon rainforest and the un-contacted tribes that live in its depths.

The current laws ensure that around 80 per cent of the privately owned land in the Amazon remain as forest, while the new bill would allow landowners to cultivate more of this land.

FRA said that the bill represents a major threat to the good work that the Brazilian government has done over the past decade to try to limit deforestation. It said that the moves to draw industry away from the use of forest timber and towards the use of timber grown in sustainable plantations, such as those run by investment firms like Greenwood Management, has helped to significantly reduce the rate at which rainforests are being destroyed in the Latin American country.

"This bill represents the largest threat to the Amazon that we have seen for years," stated FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins.

He added, “We call upon President Rousseff to fulfil her pre-election manifesto by vetoing the plans to open up more of the Amazon to agriculture and development. We are also against the amnesty for illegal loggers that sends the wrong message to those involved in the practice all over the world.”

Contact: Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 UNITED STATES
Tel: (206) 316 8394
Email: info@forestry-research.com
Web: http://www.forestry-research.com

Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

China, Korea, Japan forestry agreement is great news for environment says FRA

Posted on May 15, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 15 May, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has stated that the signing of a sustainable forestry agreement between China, the Republic of Korea and Japan is an "extremely positive move” in the fight against desertification and deforestation.

The three nations met at the Fifth Trilateral Summit Meeting over the past two days. They each signed an agreement to try to increase sustainable forestry management in their countries in a move that will help to bring down their carbon emissions as additional trees means more CO2 being absorbed from the atmosphere.

The joint statement of cooperation will ensure that all three nations take the conservation and management of sustainable forests seriously and as part of their wider environmental goals. The statement made by the three countries stated: ‘We, the leaders of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, recognizing that the realization of economic, social and environmental benefits of forests is one of the important means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) given the renewable, diverse and multi-functional nature of forests.’

They added, ‘We recognized that sustainable forest management is the perpetual theme in ecological improvement and the pursuit of sustainable development, and facilitates efforts to tackle climate change, conserve biodiversity and promote green growth among the three countries.’

FRA, which supports the sustainable management of forests and investment in managed forestry projects such as those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil. The organization's analysis partner, Peter Collins, stated, “We welcome the news of the this new agreement.”

FRA has long been an advocate of viewing forests as valuable when they are standing as well as when they are harvested and made into timber products. “What countries all over the world are beginning to realise is that trees hold a financial value when they are standing and forming part of a forest due to their carbon absorption qualities. This could soon be worth more than the timber products they could be chopped down to make,” added Mr Collins.

Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

FRA says British Columbia seeing signs of timber industry uptick

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 14 May, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has welcomed news that timber producers in British Columbia, Canada, are slowly returning to profitability after major damage from Pine Beetles over the past few years.

The news has come courtesy of industry analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The firm has recently held its Global Forest and Paper Industry Conference in Vancouver, outlining how the industry is seeing a return to its previous good fortune.

The analysts claim that the industry in the region is set to return to profitability by the end of this year or early next year. A spokesperson for PwC said, “It’s a combination of events driving it, but it’s probably a long, slow process rather than a big bang.”

“The trend is in the right direction,” he added. FRA is a research and analysis consultancy specialising in forestry and timber investments. It’s analysis partner, Peter Collins explained, “We have always had faith in Canada’s forestry industry because the demand for timber just keeps growing.”

He added, “Emerging economies such as China and India, are demanding more and more raw materials to allow them to continue to grow. Meanwhile, the US real estate market is picking up and more houses will need to be built, using timber, in the coming months and years.”

FRA claims that all this will lead to an increase in the demand for timber while a shortage in supply keeps prices growing. It is this trend that also leads FRA to support forestry investments as a good option for those who are looking for a way to diversify their investment portfolio. “Investing in plantation projects, such as the sustainable teak and eucalyptus plantations run by firms like Greenwood Management, can bring balance to a portfolio while generating very healthy returns for anyone interested in alternative investments.”

Posted in Sustainable Forestry | Leave a comment

Wood First campaign attracts support from FRA

Posted on May 8, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 09 May, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has lent its support to a new campaign in the UK that calls upon the public sector to lead the way in terms of opting to use wood as a primary building material.

Wood for Good has launched the “Wood First” campaign, which it hopes will encourage local authorities and councils to consider sustainably sources wood as a primary building materials on projects. A key part of France’s climate policy is to encourage the use of timber in building and the Wood First campaign hopes to replicate this in the UK.

The campaign is part of Wood for Good’s aim to make the use of sustainable timber a more viable option for construction projects around the UK. One London borough is thought to be considering adopting the policy, claims FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specialising in forestry investment and timber products.

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, explained, “It’s all down to the fact that growing timber helps to reduce the amount of CO2 we emit because trees absorb carbon.

“The more trees we plant and the more land we cover in forests, the more carbon is absorbed and the best way to ensure more trees are planted is to use more wood in the construction industry.”

Wood for Good’s Head of External Affairs, David Hopkins, said, “Increasing forest cover is recognised as one of the most effective weapons we have in the battle against climate change, and the best way to achieve this is to stimulate demand for sustainable timber and wood products. The introduction of a Wood First rule will help to make this happen.”

FRA supports forestry investment as a way to encourage sustainability. Projects like Greenwood Management’s teak and acacia plantations in Brazil offer investors the chance to invest in an ethical option while making healthy returns, claims FRA.

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FRA highlights forestry's ROI and sustainability credentials

Posted on May 3, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 08 May, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has highlighted a piece by Doug Jones of Remsoft in the Environmentalleader.com, which talks about achieving both sustainability and return on investment through investing in forestry.

Remsoft’s Vice President of Forestry explains that finding an investment that is ethical and offers potentially strong returns is a difficult ask these days. With such major demands on commodities, energy and food, sustainability is increasingly important issue for investors to consider, claims FRA. Mr Jones offers an example of an asset class that fits the bill: timber.

There is an ever-increasing demand for timber, according to Jones’ article, which cites figures published by the Oregon Resources Institute. These figures show that US citizens now consume 3.5 times more timber than they did back in 1970. With emerging markets like china, India and Brazil all desperately improving their infrastructure and building housing in urban regions, the demand for timber from these countries is also increasing.

The secret to sustainability, claims Jones, is developing a model by which timber can be grown and harvested, while forests are always growing. A rotation method can be used to achieve this – generating timber for sale, but also ensuring that standing forests are planted and maintained, which helps provide carbon dioxide absorption and habitats for animals.

As well as its sustainability credentials, forestry investment can also offer some serious ROI potential, according to FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins. He said, “timber has consistently outperformed equities over the long-term and can offer an investment solution that has a low level of correlation with major economic trends – providing opportunities for investors to diversify their investment portfolios against risk.”

FRA supports the work of Greenwood Management, which operates plantation projects in Brazil, growing sustainable, fast growing breeds including teak and eucalyptus.

Posted in Forestry Investment | Leave a comment

Forestry "popular with risk-averse investors" claims FRA

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, 03 May, 2012

Environmental Finance has published an article outlining how fund managers are reporting a rise in interest in forestry investment of all kinds. Forestry Research Associates (FRA) says that the future looks bright for forestry, as traditional investments continue to deter pension funds.

Timberland Investment Resources (TIR) was speaking at the Forestry, Sustainability and Biomass conference in London today. The delegate stated, “We have lived through extraordinary times for investors. And the fact is, forestry did what it said it would do on the tin.”

FRA claims that this sums up the attraction of forestry investment for many investors who have been burned by their stocks and shares after huge amounts were lost from markets overnight during the economic crisis. The ongoing uncertainty in the Eurozone region is a further cause for concern for many, who want to diversify their portfolios to protect them from risk.

“Forestry is a risk-averse option.” claims FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins. He added, “Timber assets offers a stable option as they have continually outperformed equities over a number of years.”

FRA claims that another advantage is the fact that if the timber prices are low when trees reach harvestable size, investors are not forced to chop down their trees. Instead they can simply leave them growing for as long as it takes for timber prices to reach the desired level before selling. “Trees continue to grow, along with the potential ROI,” added Collins.

There are a number of ways to invest in timberland and forestry, explained FRA. One of the most popular among risk-averse investors is to buy up sections of sustainable plantations, which offer a tangible asset in exchange for anything from around EUR10,000 in the case of an investment through Greenwood Management, for example.

Greenwood Management runs teak and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil.

Posted in Forestry Investment | Leave a comment

FRA backs Pakistan's look into forestry's climate change benefits

Posted on April 26, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has welcomed the news that efforts are being made in Pakistan to monitor climate change impacts and scenarios.

The research and analysis consultancy claims that the work being done by the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) is a good thing for the country and for the global environment. “The PFI is looking into the different climate change impacts in various regions throughout Pakistan and how this affects forestry resources,” stated FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins.

The PFI explained to the APP: “It is the first professional attempt to address the emerging issues of climate change and global warming and its overall impact on the environment and weather of the country and region.”

Most importantly, claims the FRA, Pakistan is looking at the ways in which the forestry industry can help to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Mr Collins added, “There are a number of ways forestry can help reduce climate change, by providing habitats and most importantly, by absorbing CO2 emitted by industry.”

FRA claims that developing countries, like Pakistan, can actually benefit financially from simply planting trees and selling carbon credits to industrial countries that emit huge amounts of CO2, like the US.

More and more investors in the West are turning their attention to timber for these reasons, added FRA, which advocates investment in sustainable forestry schemes, such as the ones operated by firms like Greenwood Management in Brazil and Canada.

The research being carried out by the PFI is looking to ascertain the exact forest cover in the country and how this can be utilized or enhanced to try to reduce the effects of climate change in the region.

PFI’s officials added an explanation of the benefits of forestry plantation, “Non Timber Forests Produce (NTFP) is important source of revenue for forests dwellers and plays key role in poverty alleviation.”

Posted in Sustainable Forestry | Leave a comment

FRA welcomes Forestry Investment Program positivity

Posted on April 24, 2012 by admin

FRA welcomes Forestry Investment Program positivity

Seattle, UNITED STATES, April 26, 2012

Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burkino Faso have all given insights into their intended responses to the Forest Investment Program (FIP), claims Forestry Research Associated (FRA).

The research and analysis group said that reports from allafrica.com show that representatives from each of the three African nations have pledged to continue their support for the REDD+ scheme in exchange for funding under the FIP.

Speaking at the annual FIP pilot scheme meeting in Brazil, Burkino Faso’s officials said that the country maintains a strong political affiliation and support to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). The country also pledged to improve synergies between the REDD+ work and other industries, such as agriculture and environment. It wants to invest in private sector forestry.

Meanwhile, both Ghana and Burkino Faso mentioned that they were finding management of stakeholders' expectation a challenge.

The DRC said that it has made some headway in keeping track of investments under the scheme, through the launch of an online National REDD+ Projects register, which monitors the projects that are receiving the funding. However, it added that the private sector is still sceptical due to high taxes and complexities.

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, “We support the REDD+ program and are pleased to see that developing nations are still being rewarded for protecting their forestry industries for generations to come.”

FRA believes that schemes like the FIP and carbon trading programs help communities living in developing nations to realize and benefit from the value of standing forests. “This helps to reduce the reliance on non-sustainable forestry practices and underlines the benefits of managed forestry,” added Mr Collins.

Investors all over the world can do their bit to promote sustainable forestry and managed forestry by investing in plantation projects like those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil.

Posted in Sustainable Forestry | Leave a comment

FRA supports re-emergence of Finnish forestry

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2012

The Finnish forestry industry is on the up once more, according to Forestry Research Associates (FRA), whose outlook is backed by a new study.

FRA is a research and analysis consultancy, specialising in forestry and timberland investments. It claims that, after a period of downturn, the forestry industry in Finland is ripe for investment once more.

FRA’s view on the state of the industry in the Scandinavian country reflects the general outlook within Finland itself, according to a research report commissioned the Finnish Forest Association. The report found that the general confidence in the industry is returning after a tough few years.

Some 76 per cent of those questioned said they felt confident in Finland’s forestry industry’s international competitiveness. This was up from just 61 per cent who said the same back in 2007.

There was also a discovery that three quarters of the people questioned agreed that forestry by-products should be increasingly used in biomass power stations to generate energy.

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, “We very much welcome the news that the outlook among Finland’s forestry industry is more positive than it has been in recent years.

“We hope that this signifies the start of a new period of prosperity for the industry and that investors will be drawn to the asset class as an alternative to stocks and shares.”

FRA supports investment in forestry as an asset class and claims that it has regularly outperformed equities over the past ten years or so. Collins added, “With the increasingly volatile nature of traditional investments, it’s no wonder that wise investors are looking for new places to invest their cash."

FRA supports timber investments through sustainable plantations that provide the chance for investors to buy up areas of forest and support the forestry industry and the communities that rely on it.

Posted in Research | Leave a comment

FRA welcomes timber investment article from Pictet-Timber head

Posted on April 17, 2012 by admin

Seattle, UNITED STATES, April 20, 2012

Forestry Research Associates (FRA) is welcoming an article by Pictet-Timber fund co-manager Gabriel Micheli in Investment Week, giving tips to anyone considering investing in timber.

Mr Micheli is keen to point out the potential returns that can come about as a result of opting for timber investments, which will be underpinned by real growing demand for timber products in emerging economies such as China and India.

He said that wise investors are “waking up” to the environmental “megatrends” in the market. These include the realisation that growing forests can provide communities with income as they provide potential for carbon trading arrangements. As a result of these arrangements, developing countries can make money from developed nations through carbon trading. This is possible because trees absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air and therefore provide one of the most cost-effective means of reducing carbon emissions.

Mr Micheli added that investors are regularly seeing their returns from timber investment exceeding returns on stocks and shares investments. He points out that between 1990 and 2011 the NCREIF Timberland index returned 10.7 per cent each year. He claims that this shows that timber has a “key role” to play in any portfolio that is diversified against risk.

He claims that the demand for timber is coming from the nations that are desperate to get their hands on raw materials to continue their housing and infrastructure developments. At the same time, supply is not keeping up with the pace, which will drive prices up.

“Along with Mr Micheli, we are confident that timber prices will rise along with demand in the coming few years,” stated Peter Collins, the analysis partner at FRA, a research and analysis consultancy specialising in forestry investment.

He added, “Investing in sustainable timber growth, through firms such as Greenwood Management and Pictet-timber fund can provide careful investors with the chance to make a health return form an ethical investment –something that is not that easy to come by.”

Posted in Forestry Investment | Leave a comment

FRA calls for Rousseff Forestry Act veto

China, Korea, Japan forestry agreement is great news for environment says FRA

FRA says British Columbia seeing signs of timber industry uptick

Wood First campaign attracts support from FRA

FRA highlights forestry's ROI and sustainability credentials

Forestry "popular with risk-averse investors" claims FRA

FRA backs Pakistan's look into forestry's climate change benefits

FRA welcomes Forestry Investment Program positivity

FRA supports re-emergence of Finnish forestry

FRA welcomes timber investment article from Pictet-Timber head

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