Page 13 - LandscapeSA Issue 106

fEATURE

SUSTAINABILITY

BEYOND

PROfITABILITY

BY PIETER SMUTS, MD Of HUSQVARNA SA

As a leading producer of forest, park

and garden products, Husqvarna sees
sustainability as both a tool in its own
arsenal and an end in itself. Smuts says
that when he returned to the forestry

and garden division of Husqvarna three
years ago, he faced a number of key
business challenges and decided to do
things differently.

nfortunately, some people have the perception that
Husqvarna simply sells chain saws to cut down trees,
Uultimately damaging the environment. This is not true as the
company does a lot of work, globally and locally, to prevent this and Pieter smuts
to support sustainable businesses.
When Husqvarna first considered how to take this forward, one of has taken it a step further, launching a veld management division
its global studies, entitled Urban Parks 2030, was used to help guide that provides the tools and technology to help land owners, land
its decisions. This showed that green spaces in the form of gardens, managers, farmers and conservation organisations to deal with land
parks and forests were going to be more important than ever. management challenges.
The pandemic, lockdown and health issues have taken this a step
further, showing that they are important for addressing issues such Smuts says: “We realised that many of our open spaces and grasslands
as climate change, air and water quality, biodiversity and the mental no longer look how they used to because of climate change, drought,
and physical well-being of people. soil erosion and encroachment by alien invasive plants. We now have a
responsibility to intervene and restore them to what they were.”
Respondents in that study stated that these spaces needed to be
cared for differently and that those responsible needed to take a Husqvarna opened its veld management division four years ago in
sustainable approach. Husqvarna has embraced this through its an advisory capacity, and now has tangible results and examples of
concept of Silent Nature™ and a range of quiet but powerful tools what can be achieved. Under the expert eye of game ranger and veld
that include chainsaws, trimmers, blowers and brush cutters. These management specialist Divan Vermaak, the company has created
rely on efficient and long-lasting lithium ion batteries that produce strong relationships within the agricultural and conservation
lower emissions, and this goes a long way towards eliminating noise communities.
pollution in built up spaces. The hand-held lithium ion chainsaws
are (sadly) the tool of choice for conservationists who are dehorning Smit adds that although they see the business value of restoring
rhinos to discourage poachers. They are easy to carry and powerful many hectares of high value land, they also know that they are doing
enough to get this process completed as quickly and quietly as far more than can be reflected on a balance sheet. “At Husqvarna,
possible, with minimal trauma to the animal. sustainability goes way beyond good business sense. We are
changing how we live,” he concludes.
This alone would have allowed Husqvarna to send a strong
message to users that it stands for sustainability, but the company Information supplied by Tynago Communications on behalf of Husqvarna

“We realised that many of our open spaces and grasslands no longer look how they used
to because of climate change, drought, soil erosion and encroachment by alien invasive
plants. We now have a responsibility to intervene and restore them to what they were.”

Landscape SA • Issue 106 2021 11