Charcoal booming

The Namibia Charcoal Association (NCA) estimates that the sector employed close to 10 000 workers this year. Estimates for 2019 are that up to 200 000 tonnes of charcoal will be produced in Namibia - an increase from the 120 000 tonnes produced last year. The NCA last week held a field day at Okahandja with government officials, SMEs and farmers on best practices in the charcoal industry, focusing on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.Training programmes are being rolled out by a number of organisations, including the NCA. They cover harvesting processes, packing of kilns, selection of wood and a range of technologies such as retorts and so-called hybrid technology.“We are encouraging farmers to diversify,” says Michael Degé, NCA manager. “There are a number of interesting investment opportunities. Charcoal is a good means to start other businesses on your farm. Namibia still imports mulch, trellises and fencing, which we can produce locally. Also, by-products of charcoal production such as humic acid are interesting opportunities.”According to the NCA humic acid can be harvested during the charcoal-making process with a sophisticated, but simple extraction unit.If the extraction unit is properly designed, humid acid, tar, oils, turpentine and alcohols can be extracted in one process. The NCA will showcase these and other charcoal-related products and processes at a technology day at Outjo on 20 November.The NCA says markets for by-products and refined charcoal products such as bio-char are growing and so is the market for certified charcoal. However, the market for charcoal that is not certified seems to be declining. Namibia's charcoal is exported mainly to Europe and South Africa. According to the NCA customers in Europe trust the certification by the FSC, while other markets are also increasingly calling for certification. “Many South African retail outlets such as Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar and Woolworths will be switching to FSC-certified charcoal in 2020. However, South Africa will still also handle local and international markets for non-certified charcoal,” says the NCA. The FSC is an international organisation that provides a system for voluntary certification. It promotes responsible management of forest resources and ecosystem services. A further focus is workers' rights and employment conditions.The FSC sets a number of rules for charcoal production and marketing but at the same time it calls for compliance with national legislation. “FSC complements our national regulations and laws. In many cases, FSC principles and criteria ensure that we comply with our own national regulations. FSC therefore helps us to bridge gaps in implementation and control,” explained Stephan Bezuidenhout of Environmental Compliance Consultancy. FSC Southern Africa reported in September 2019 that 568 000 hectares in Namibia were FSC-certified farmland. The number is rapidly growing and should reach 900 000 by the end of this year.“We as environmental consultants ensure FSC compliance and thereby work closely with government departments,” Bezuidenhout said.There are a number of options for FSC certification. Most common today in Namibia are “group scheme certificates” where farmers have supply agreements with a certain producer. In addition, “single site certificates” for medium-scale operations are available, as are “SLIMF certificates” for small or low-intensity managed forests.The FSC standard has been adapted to Namibian conditions. For example, FSC demands that title deeds, land certificates and other documents are required. The new Namibian FSC standard now assumes that all documents are in place when a harvesting permit has been issued by the Directorate of Forestry. The Namibian standard thus simplifies the process. “With the FSC standard we are making a significant socio-economic impact in Namibia, as it helps us to improve workers' conditions and income. That is one of the many reasons why we at NCA like FSC,” said Degé. “FSC opens markets and protects the industry for the future.”STAFF REPORTER

Charcoal booming

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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Charcoal booming

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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