Altri forest management is handled by its subsidiary, Altri Florestal. Altri has approximately 90.4 thousand hectares of forest under intervention in Portugal. Wood self-sufficiency levels are about 20%.


Altri follows a forest strategy plan that aims to optimise forest assets, using sustainable management techniques that provide a steady increase in productivity over the long term.


The company's research and development department has developed species with higher productivity rates, which are used to replace less productive types of trees. Altri is committed to promoting biodiversity, particularly in areas of high ecological value. The original flora has been restored in several areas in which eucalyptus has failed to thrive. Altri's model of forest management also emphasizes regional and community development. Altri hires staff locally where possible.

Our forest

All the forest managed by Altri is located in Portugal. It is composed mainly of eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus globulus). This species represents around 80 per cent of the 90.4 thousand hectares under management.




BREAKDOWN BY SPECIES
Eucalyptus 80.3
Cork oak 4.2
Pine 2.4
Holm oak 0.7
Bush 6.4
Agricultural 0.2
Firebreaks and access paths 3.2
Other 2.7
TOTAL 100




The forest is spread across the country. Its primary location is the Tagus river valley region. This location is strategically important because it is close to our three mills.

Public Summary of Forest Management Plan at Altri Florestal
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Forest Research and development

Research and development (R&D) is a critical area of pulp production. The main aim is to optimise Altri's pulp production in terms of quality, productivity and cost reduction.

Altri has more than 40 years' R&D forest experience, through its acquisition of Celbi Pulp Mill.

  1. The main focus of Altri's R&D is the eucalyptus tree. Major development programmes include:
    • Increasing productivity: enabling quicker growth;
    • Decreasing consumption per tonne of pulp produced;
    • Increasing quality: wood, fibre, pulp and paper
    • The promotion of environmental sustainability
    • Cost reduction.
  2. The main areas of study are management of settlements, nutrition and forest protection; production models through biometrics; genetic improvements; and forest maintenance..
  3. The purpose of the genetic improvement programme is to improve pulp quality and to lower the amount of wood required per tonne of pulp produced.

Biodiversity

Altri places importance on biological diversity, sustainable resource use, and the fair distribution of the benefits. We believe that the promotion of biodiversity is a defense in itself: the maintenance, use, and replacement of resources are basic factors in safeguarding the company’s long-term interests.


Altri leaves a significant environmental footprint because the wood it produces is from forests planted and managed with the objective of harvesting. A typical managed forest has low levels of biodiversity.


The company has defined a set of procedures to minimise its impact on the environment:


Wood supply chain: Altri takes care in evaluating its external wood sources to reduce the risk of acquiring wood from controversial sources: wood from forests with a high ecological value, from forests exploited illegally or from regions that disregard the civil rights of their inhabitants.


Commitment to conservation and biodiversity: Altri has identified several areas of its own forests that have high value in terms of biodiversity and conservation. These will be earmarked for conservation and converted into native forests, so as to increase biodiversity levels. These projects are in line with the European objective to restore and raise biodiversity levels.




Altri's commitment to biodiversity involves:
Promoting and restoring conservation and biodiversity
Developing a management model built on value-added principles
Promoting the engagement of local communities and authorities
Promoting conservation and biodiversity values to all stakeholders
Sponsoring marketing campaigns to promote biodiversity
Maintaining a wood supply policy to avoid acquiring wood from sources that do not conform to the Forest Stewardship Council ©’s code.

The current forest management activity and this commitment materialized in the signing of the Business and Biodiversity protocol between Altri and the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity (ICNB).

Forest protection

Fire is a major threat to forests in Portugal.


To reduce the danger of fire blazes, Altri formed a joint venture company with The Navigator Company, the largest owners of forest land in Portugal. The joint venture, called Afocelca, has the purpose to centralise fire prevention and firefighting activities. Afocelca’s simplem and efficient structure enables it to provide a flexible approach to surveillance and defensive action against forest fires blazes.


Afocelca’s firefighting strategy is based on four axes:








Timing:

Prompt action is essential for reducing fire damage. The sooner the fire brigade arrives, the better – as they can attack the fire at source.

Initial mass attack

At the initial stages of a fire, the fire brigade prioritises the suppression of wildland fires.

Evaluation of potential damage:

When several forest fires break out simultaneously, we evaluate the potential damage that each fire might cause. In this way, priority can be given to defending the most valuable property or areas.

Evaluation of potential danger

Similarly, we analyze the propagation of the fire using fire models – an aid to fire brigade management.