Paraná, September 27, 2019 – Klabin and Faculdade Jaguariaíva forged an important partnership to benefit the environment in the entire Jaguariaíva region. Last Saturday (Sept. 21), students of the forest engineering program started work on recovering an area spanning roughly 10,000 m² that was recently affected by fires whose causes are unknown. The recovered area starts at the outflow measuring point of the Três Bocas River and ends at the site where water is drawn to the reservoir. Approximately 1,000 seedlings of local native species were planted.

Klabin’s High Conservation Value Area (AAVC), where the action is being implemented, is extremely important for the region as it is part of the permanent preservation area of the Três Bocas River, which supplies a part of the population of Jaguariaíva. At the same site, Klabin already runs, in partnership with the municipal government, the Bacia Escola project aimed at studying the forest hydrological area and the effects of the stewardship of planted forests on water resources.

Work in the area granted by Klabin will last for at least five years and will consist of monitoring the survival, development and adaptation of flora and fauna in the demarcated area during this period. “This type of partnership underlines our commitment to the development of communities and our environmental preservation efforts, both of which are principles underlying Klabin’s Sustainability Policy. Based on the study findings, we will jointly evaluate the possibilities of accelerating the recovery of degraded environmental areas,” said Samantha Nazaré de Paiva, Environment and Forest Certifications engineer at Klabin.

The planting of seedlings last Saturday involved around 60 students, professors of the forest engineering program and Klabin employees. “We are very excited to start this project, which will be valuable for training our students, who will be able to monitor personally all the stages of recovery of the area. We are also fulfilling our social responsibility of enabling the recovery of the degraded area, thereby benefiting the population,” said Daniela Magossi, coordinator of the forest engineering program.

Bacia Escola Project

Klabin and the Municipality of Jaguariaíva signed early this year a partnership agreement to implement the Bacia Escola Project at the watershed of the Três Bocas River. Faculdade Jaguariaíva, through its Forest Engineering Program, has already been participating in educational and research actions in the area since 2017. The initiative is aimed at fostering academic research in the field of forest hydrology and examining the effects of planted forest stewardship on water resources. The site was chosen for its unique characteristics and will serve as an open-air laboratory to aid in the learning of issues related to forest hydrology and the environment.

About Klabin

Klabin is Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper, the leader in the corrugated board and industrial bag packaging segments, and the only company in the country offering one-stop shop solutions in hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp. Founded in 1899, Klabin has 17 industrial units in Brazil and one in Argentina. In Paraná alone, Klabin has generated over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in more than 25 cities close to its operations, especially in the Campos Gerais region.

Klabin pioneered the adoption of mosaic-based forest stewardship, which consists of planted forests interspersed with preserved native forests, forming ecological corridors that help to maintain the biodiversity.  Klabin’s forest area in Paraná totals 342,000 hectares, 142,000 of which are native forests. Klabin also maintains an Ecological Park in the Monte Alegre Farm in Telêmaco Borba for research and conservation purposes, which provides shelter and rehabilitates wild animals that are the victims of accidents or abuse, thus supporting the efforts of environmental authorities. It also helps to preserve the region’s flora and fauna, including endangered species.

Klabin’s management is entirely guided by Sustainable Development. Klabin has implemented most of its social and environmental programs in the Campos Gerais region, notably Social Forests – Planning Sustainable Properties, Legal Forests, Solid Waste Project, Growing Up Reading, Caiubi Program, Força Verde Mirim and Environmental Protectors.

Klabin also supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and the Brazilian Pact to Eradicate Slave Labor, and seeks suppliers and business partners that share its values of ethics, transparency and respect for sustainability principles.