South Australia’s forest industries are celebrating ‘Innovation in Agriculture’ this AgDay 2022 while recognising that our forestry, timber manufacturing and pulp and paper industries are all key cogs, essential to the food and fibre supply chain across the state, nation and the world, Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) Nathan Paine said today.
“Forest industries are some of the biggest innovators across agriculture and primary industries, continually improving growing and forest management practices while transforming timber and wood fibre into new and essential products every day. Our industries also increasingly have a critical innovation role making climate friendly replacement products as the world looks to phase out plastics and fossil-fuel based products,” Nathan Paine said.
“So important is our innovation role, that the Federal Government is providing $100 million to establish a new National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) and the South Australian Government has committed $15 million for a new Forest Industries Centre of Excellence in Mount Gambier to drive research into maximising industry value and developing new products.
“Combining farming with forestry is also another critical and innovative integration as South Australia looks to grow our production estate, playing our part in achieving the national goal of planting one billion new trees by 2030, thereby ensuring our timber and wood fibre supply for decades to come. Global demand for timber and wood fibre is forecast to quadruple by 2050 so we need to make sure supply meets growing demand at home and across the nation.”
“AgDay 2022 is important to raise awareness about where so many essential food and fibre products come from and that includes those made from timber and wood fibre. Where would we be without timber for home building and furniture, or wood fibre for paper and packaging materials? These products come from sustainably grown and managed plantations in South Australia, supporting over 21,000 jobs in this state and many, many communities along the way.
“I commend the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) on another successful AgDay and applaud South Australia’s forest industries as an essential part of the broader agriculture sector,” Nathan Paine concluded.
South Australia’s forest industries directly and indirectly employ over 21,300 South Australians, contributes almost $3 billion to the economy annually and are a major solution to fighting climate change alongside other agricultural sectors.