Building a business
There’s a lot of negativity around land reform in South Africa. This follows ongoing press reports about productive farms grinding to a halt soon after transfer of the land to communities. Well, it’s nice to know that there are some cases where communities are mobilising and partnering with the private sector in an effort to make the most of the land that has been returned to them. Read on ...
OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD blog
|
A confused lot
At the first whiff of hardship, South Africans are turning on themselves, like dogs fighting over a bone. The bone in this scenario is the economy, money, wealth … whatever you want to call it. Read on ...
Biological forestry practices nourish the soil, which will look after your trees
I have noted a growing trend (pardon the pun) among forestry folk to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach to commercial plantation forestry as it is practiced in SA. This started some time back with the introduction of FSC, wetland delineation and a much stricter control over the use of chemical herbicides etc. Read on ...
Can forestry help solve the dire threats of water pollution and climate change
The forestry industry has been taking stick for decades from environmentalists and government officials for using excessive amounts of water to grow trees. But in recent weeks the spotlight has shifted to a much bigger threat to our water resources – acid mine drainage – which occurs when water comes into contact with exposed ore in old gold and coal mines. Read on ...
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS blog
|
Road or rail?
With the steady decline in rail infrastructure in South Africa, more and more heavy freight such as timber is being transported on our roads. As a result, the timber growers and transporters have invested heavily in the road transport leg of their logistics chain. Read on ...
A rough track over the folding mountains
I have always loved road trips, so whenever the opportunity arises I’m in the car and gone, surfboard on the roof, camping gear in the boot. Since taking over the publishing of SA Forestry magazine, I am now required to travel to the commercial tree growing regions of our beautiful country as part of my job. These just happen to be located in the wildest and most beautiful parts of the country, which suits me fine. The only additional things I need to take along with me these days are a laptop, a camera, a notebook and a pen that works. Read on ...
The travel bug, hospitality and wide open spaces
Last month I was on the road again, scouring the land for interesting forestry stories. Read on ...
|
