Sustainability Report 2004

Environmental aspects

Forest operations | Agricultural defense systems

One of the key questions in our forest operations concerns the use of agricultural pesticides and herbicides in Aracruz’s eucalyptus plantations.

The product most widely used by Aracruz in the control of weeds – colonião and other plants endemic to the region – is Scout NA, used by producers of soybeans, sugar cane, beans, rice, corn and various other agricultural products, including fruit trees.

This glyphosate salt-based herbicide is only used in the first year of planting or sprouting, when the eucalyptus trees are more vulnerable to competition from weeds. In contrast to procedures with other crops, the product rarely needs to be applied in eucalyptus plantations from the second year onwards since, by this stage, the trees have usually outgrown any competing species. This means the amount of herbicide used in Aracruz’s areas of cultivation is lower than that used in annual agricultural crops where herbicides are applied on a continuous basis.

Scout NA is licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture and IBAMA, and scientific studies show that used in correct doses it causes no health risks to humans or the environment.

Aracruz constantly follows the research conducted in this field and monitors the application of herbicides and pesticides on its commercial plantations.