From farming and forestry, through processing and manufacturing, to designing and building homes, Wales’ wood value chain will work together towards a more resilient future for our environment and the Welsh people
29 May 2024, Cardiff, UK: On 2 July 2024 at 9:30AM, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change & Rural Affairs (Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Newid Hinsawdd) will present to participants from across the wood value chain at WoodBUILD 2024. Hosted by Woodknowledge Wales, this year’s conference will be held in at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David IQ Building in Swansea from 2-3 July.
“I’m delighted that the new The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change & Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, will be making the keynote address on day one of our conference. Now with responsibility for both the Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals and the emerging Timber Industrial Strategy, his perspective should be of huge interest to our network, from forestry through to timber construction. WoodBUILD, since its inception in 2016, has always been well supported by Welsh Government with past Ministerial addresses from Julie James MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning, in her previous roles as Housing Minister and then as Minister for Climate Change.” Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales.
In addition to the Ministerial address, WoodBUILD participants can look forward to a keynote speech from Paul King, CEO, Built by Nature, an industry leader debate on how to create more resilient wood value chains, an update from Welsh Government on progress towards Wales’ first Timber Industrial Strategy, two book launches, and a host of useful and insightful workshops, demonstrations, immersive experiences and exhibits.
Farmers and foresters must stick together
In The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change & Rural Affairs’ recent written cabinet statement on the Future of Farming in Wales, published on 14 May 2024, he wrote that the Welsh Government, working with Farming Connect, will: “…continue to promote the benefits and opportunities of tree cover and woodland on farms and work on knowledge transfer…” and delayed the transition from the Basic Payment Scheme to the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) until 2026.
There has been a great deal of unbalanced media speculation following the farming protests earlier this year, which culminated in rallies outside the Welsh Senedd. The popular press tends to single out the 10 per cent tree-planting target under the draft Sustainable Farming Scheme as the main impetus behind these protests. However, a recent article, written by Deputy Editor Jack Haugh and published in the Forestry Journal on 1 May, calls this out as unfair bias. In the article, Huw Morris, a woodland estate manager with a farming heritage rooted in Powys, notes that tree-planting is just “one small issue among many things” and, while Morris does not believe trees on farms will be purposely planted to produce timber, he does make it clear that “Farmers and foresters…[ ]… need to stick together, and not be pitted against one another. Singling out tree planting is an easy way to demonise farmers. We need to balance the message because it’s not really what the protests are about.”
Woodknowledge Wales works across the wood value chain with a mission to purposefully develop Wales’ forest industries from tree to product to benefit the economy, the environment and the people of Wales. Well considered land use, and co-operation between farmers and foresters, is essential to this mission.
How to create more resilient wood value chains
The WoodBUILD conference and expo brings together wood value chain stakeholders to discuss progress and consider next best steps towards an economic and environmentally beneficial forest industry for Wales. Woodknowledge Wales stakeholders include land users who plant trees, all the way through primary and secondary processors and timber product and timber frame manufacturers, to representatives from the built environment sector who build with timber. These include professionals focused on designing, manufacturing and building homes using both traditional and innovative construction models and social housing developers responsible for commissioning Welsh homes.
This year, the conference will also include a day two keynote presentation from Paul King, CEO of Built by Nature, a network and grant-making fund dedicated to accelerating the timber building transformation in Europe. This keynote presentation will be followed by an industry leader debate between Paul King, Charlotte Hale (CEO, SO Modular), Jonathan Poynton (MD, Pontrilas Sawmills), and Tim Clement (Director of Social Value & Sustainability, Morgan Sindall Construction): How to create more resilient wood value chains and rise up to tomorrow’s challenges in the spirit of collaboration, 09:30 – 11:00, 3 July.
A Timber Industrial Strategy for Wales
Home Grown Homes project (HGH) (Prosiect Cartrefi O Bren Lleol) is a key project for Woodknowledge Wales. Supported by Welsh Government, one of the current phase two project tasks focuses on assisting in the development of the emerging Timber Industrial Strategy. WoodBUILD 2024 participants, can therefore also look forward to the day two Welsh Government workshop update on the progress of its Timber Industrial Strategy for Wales: The Timber Industrial Strategy: Making wood work for Wales, 14:00, 3 July.
Two new authors salute Super Sitka as a woodland hero
Images: The Sitka spruce A) as depicted in Figure 6.3, Timber! by Paul Brannen (2024, p98, Source: Shutterstock) B) Illustrated by Emily Hocking in Jenny Bailey’s storybook, ‘Sitka the Amazing Timber Tree’ (2024, p4)
Also, at WoodBUILD 2024, participants will enjoy the Welsh launch of two new timber-focused books. Paul Brannen’s new book, ‘Timber! How wood can help save the world from climate breakdown’ and Jenny Bailey’s children’s picture book and audio book, ‘Sitka the Amazing Timber Tree’ published in both Welsh and English. Both books salute the Sitka spruce as a woodland hero, rightfully reframing the narrative around what was once a poster species for long-ago defunct forest monoculture planting practices.
“…although much-maligned, given the climate and latitude of the UK, no tree can grow faster, and no tree can absorb more carbon dioxide while at the same time producing good-quality commercial timber”, writes Paul Brannen, Timber!, (Agenda Publishing, 27 June 2024, p99, now available to pre-order)
“As the tree of choice for forestry across the country, I’ve been growing here for 40 years, and now my timbers are straight and mature, just right for what you need for building and creating your environment”, says the Sitka spruce, as personified by Jenny Bailey in ‘Sitka the Amazing Timber Tree’ (Tales from Mother Earth™, 2024, p3)
Paul and Jenny will both be available at WoodBuild, so you can speak directly with the authors, grab your copies and get them signed while networking and enjoying the broader industry knowledge share workshops.
About WoodBUILD 2024
WoodBUILD 2024 will engage Timber and Construction Industry stakeholders in a collaborative effort to build new, multi-disciplinary business opportunities and regenerative solutions. Sponsored by Morgan Sindall Construction, Wales & West Housing, The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) and Welsh Government, participants will enjoy two days of knowledge share, debate, networking and exhibitions. Conference tickets are on sale via the WoodBUILD registration page. Find out more about WoodBUILD and keep up with exciting additions to the programme by signing up to the Woodknowledge Wales newsletter and via the Woodknowledge Wales news pages.
