New RISI Report Analyzes South American Tree Farm and Biomass Energy Investment Opportunities

BEDFORD, Massachusetts -

RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, today announced the publication of the South American Tree Farm Update: Opportunities for Investment in Forest Industry and Biomass Energy Plantations. This new study updates and expands on the South American section of an earlier RISI study -Global Tree Farm & Managed Forest Industry. The report describes in detail how the convergence of the timberland, bioenergy, and carbon markets is creating a flood of new investment opportunities in South America’s plantation forest industry and analyzes the structure of that industry. The study also provides an outlook on future fiber supplies, and includes RISI’s database of 130 ownerships in 8 countries, totaling 6.2 million hectares.

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Robert Flynn, study author and RISI director of international timber, commented, “Over 15% of plantation forests in South America are owned by overseas investors, including more than 500,000 ha owned by financial investors like TIMOs. This is only about 3% of the area owned by timberland investors in North America.” He continued, “However, RISI projects that South America and especially Brazil, will be the focus of the next surge in timberland investment. Brazil already has more dedicated wood energy plantations than Europe, North America, and Africa combined, and the area of these plantations is projected to more than double over the coming decade. This report will be an essential tool for senior managers and analysts wanting to evaluate investment opportunities in this rapidly growing sector.”

The report features:

- A comprehensive outlook on the current status of South America’s tree farm industry, including estimates of plantation area, species planted, ownership, and investment trends.

- Overview of South America’s plantation forest-based wood products and pulp and paper industries, including industry structure, timber demand trends, importance in global markets and the outlook for new projects.

- Insight into potential investment and timberland acquisition opportunities for North American and European organizations, and problem areas to avoid.

- Brief descriptions of nearly 80 companies currently involved in tree farm investment in South America.

- Dedicated woody biomass energy plantations in South America: importance within the region, potential fiber source for bioenergy demand in Europe, major industry players and avenues for new investment.

The data and analysis in this new study will help organizations answer the following strategic questions:

- Who have been the major foreign investors in South American plantation forestry, and which countries and industry sectors have they focused on?

- What is the current and expected role of biomass energy markets in plantation development, and which countries/regions offer the best opportunities for this type of new project?

- What impact has the current financial crisis had on forest industry development, product markets, and plantation log prices in South America?

- What are the primary drivers of plantation development in the region, and what are the most challenging stumbling blocks?

The South American Tree Farm Update is currently available and can be purchased at www.risiinfo.com/satreefarm.

About RISI

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the timber, wood biomass, wood products, pulp and paper, tissue, nonwovens, printing and publishing industries to help them make better decisions.

Headquartered in Boston (Bedford), Massachusetts, RISI operates offices in Brussels, Belgium; Atlanta, Georgia; San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Shanghai, China; Singapore; and Charlottesville, Virginia. More information can be found at www.risiinfo.com.

Contact: Dan Blenk Director of Marketing, Wood & Timber Information RISI 4 Alfred Circle, Bedford, MAÂ 01730 U.S.A. Tel: +1-781-734-8942 Email: dblenk@risiinfo.com

Source: RISI

Dan Blenk, Director of Marketing, Wood & Timber Information of RISI, +1-781-734-8942, dblenk at risiinfo.com; https://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080521/NEW122LOGO