Please accept our apologies for the less-than-perfect audio quality in this episode. Unfortunately, we experienced some technical issues during recording that affected the sound. We have worked to clean up and enhance the audio as much as possible in post-production, but some imperfections remain.
That said, we firmly believe the conversation is well worth a listen. The insights shared, the expertise on offer, and the value of the discussion are simply too important not to share. We hope you will look past the occasional audio imperfections and enjoy this particularly valuable conversation.
The ForestLink newsletter sign-up
Today, I'm joined by Martin Forsen, Executive Chairman of Silvipar. In this conversation,
Martin traces Silvipar's story from an investment in a century-old Swedish pulp mill turned biorefinery to nearly 100,000 hectares of acquired land in southern Paraguay, where fast-growing eucalyptus plantations are laying the groundwork for a new forest industry. We talk about why Paraguay came out on top of a search of more than 100 countries and the growth rates behind the project. Martin explains how Silvipar's joint venture with Astarte Capital Partners in 2020 created an impact forestry fund, now growing toward $500 million across two funds, and why carbon financing was crucial to raising that capital. We discuss the mainly degraded cattle-ranching land Silvipar buys and restores and why it sets aside over 30% of its land (four times the legal requirement) with a biodiversity net gain target. We take the tougher debates head-on: the eucalyptus narrative and water use, carbon markets and their moving goalposts, and how large-scale industrial forestry and small community-led projects can complement each other. We also explore Martin's long-term vision for what forestry could mean for Paraguay's economy.
"When we started here, no one believed that Paraguay could become a forest nation. Now the Minister of Forestry goes out and says that Paraguay has 8 million hectares of land suitable for reforestation and afforestation, of which 5 million hectares should be planted with industrial trees for the industry."
Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink
Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives
Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud
Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud
Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay)
","author_name":"Shauna Matkovich"}