They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take an old tree stump, for example—some see a lifeless remnant, something to step over or grind down. Others, though, see the potential for something more—a stunning wooden sculpture, an intricate carving, a masterpiece waiting to be revealed. That’s exactly how we at NZ Bio Forestry view the current state of New Zealand’s forestry sector. What some might see as an industry in decline, we see as an opportunity for reinvention and growth.
The Challenge: A Struggling Industry
New Zealand’s forestry sector is at a crossroads. With falling export prices, growing social licence concerns, and painful job losses, the old way of doing things just isn’t cutting it anymore. Traditionally, we’ve focused on exporting raw logs, shipping them offshore with little added value, leaving both our economy and our communities short-changed. It’s an unsustainable model, and frankly, one that doesn’t do justice to the incredible resource we have at our fingertips.
The Solution: Using the Whole Tree, Smarter
We believe the answer lies in repurposing the entire tree—not just for timber or low-value exports, but for a diverse range of high-value, sustainable products. Through cutting-edge biotechnology, we’re transforming the tree and its’ waste into something remarkable.
Biofuels: Reducing the world's reliance on fossil fuels by creating cleaner, renewable energy sources.
Biochemicals: Extracting high-value compounds for use in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biodegradable plastics.
Advanced Biomaterials: Developing innovative materials that replace petrochemical-based products and add economic value right here in New Zealand.
More Jobs, More Value, Less Waste
This approach isn’t just about sustainability—it’s about economic transformation by repurposing what is the core asset of New Zealand. By shifting the focus from raw log exports to value-added bio-based industries, we can create higher-paying jobs, support regional communities, and establish New Zealand as a leader in the global bioeconomy. Instead of shipping our resources offshore for others to process, we keep the value here—fuelling local innovation and investment.
The vision ….and it is starting to happen
Imagine New Zealand isn’t just a supplier of raw materials but a global leader in bio-based products where our forestry industry isn’t at the mercy of volatile export prices but is thriving on innovation and sustainability.
It’s happening, now. We have developed several key global investor/partner relationships. We are about to commence trading in high value wood commodities in USA, Australia and Asia to generate immediate revenue streams. We have also completed numerous forestry site and mill inspections in NZ, Australia and USA to carry out due diligence for purchase and repurposing. Plus we have developed key supply chain logistics and operations.
International business is taking notice. We’ve got an Asian customer looking for 25,000 tonnes of one of our biochemicals with potential for future orders in the hundreds of thousands of tonnes annually. (Remember, raw Pinus radiata logs currently fetch NZ$80–$180 per tonne, while our biochemicals will command between NZ$3,000 and $8,000 per tonne.)
Like that old tree stump, we’re carving out a new future for forestry in New Zealand. One is where a stressed sector is revitalised with more opportunity, challenges become solutions, and NZ’s socio-economic sustainability is improved substantially.
And we are making it happen —one tree at a time.
Ngā mihi
Wayne Mulligan, CEO
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