Innovation reflects the critical role that forests play in the world; Solomon Islands likewise being a country that depends heavily on its forest resources must be very cautious.
Forestry Permanent Secretary, Richard Raomae uttered these sentiments in commemorating the International Day of Forest which falls on the 21st of March 2024. This year’s theme is, ‘Forests and Innovation: new solutions for a better world.’
“The theme reflects the critical role that forests play in the world of innovation and vice versa. It also aims to highlight the pressing challenges that are making it difficult to preserve forests and the solutions to promote forest conservation and sustainable utilization.”
He adds climate change and biodiversity loss are among the challenges that the forest sector has to grapple with. This means that innovation is very critical for the future of forests as the sector seeks to advance solutions to these and the problems in the future.
But, what does innovation really mean, and what does it entail? It can be simply defined as the process of implementing a new idea and creating value for your target, which could be stakeholders, companies, and or individual customers.
Innovation can take different forms and shapes; it could be an improved product or service or an updated method for running operations, or a new business model, further adds the Permanent Secretary.
“In our context, it means sound and effective policies, better ways of forest management, having access to up-to date technology, maximising benefit from forest products through environmentally friendly utilisation approaches such as downstream processing, taking a more proactive and sustainable use of our forests; close collaboration with governments, institutions and forest user groups to implement forest friendly initiatives.
“In doing so, marking this year’s International Forest Day, a total of 500 plus trees have been planted to promote tree planting as one of the world forest day activities.
This includes awareness episode on SIBC and information boots on display with seeds and seedlings.
“This is the beginning of a holistic approach where UMI- Together must participate in taking care of our forest, let’s not just look at forest for milling and logging, but as a very important resources that supports and provides for the livelihood and wellbeing of the vast majority of our population.
“The Ministry will ensure that this day in years ahead, governments, institutions, communities, and forest user groups must be closed partners in tree planting campaigns to raise the level of awareness for our young generation to be caring and empathetic custodians of the forest.”
The Forestry Permanent Secretary strongly emphasised that, “It is time to recognize that food security, agriculture and forestry can no longer be treated in isolation. Sustainable agriculture needs healthy and productive forests. Forests and trees supply hundreds of thousands of people with food, energy and income, acting as a safety net during hard times.
“To accomplish the historic ambition of addressing hunger and poverty alleviation, sectoral ministries must ensure policy coherence across government, integrating strategies and balancing trade-offs.
“Actions on forests, agriculture, food, and land use, rural and national development must be integrated in the future if our sustainable development goals are to be realized.”
PS Raomae further adds, “going forward, good citizens of SI, the Ministry is fully committed to address the growing concern of unsustainable practices cause by degradation of the environment and the ecosystem services through its National Forest Policy that promotes; Forest conservation, forest management, capacity development, economic & marketing, community governance, monitoring and enforcement, transparency & integrity in close partnership with line ministries, institutions, agencies and communities.
“And in the forest industry, the implementation of the sustainable logging policy as well as getting the forestry bill 2023 into parliament, once a new government is in place.”– MoFR PRESS