Institute for Commercial
Forestry Research
 

About

The ICFR is presently the only privately funded forestry research institute in South Africa, and is funded by direct contributions from companies and organisations in the Forestry Industry.

 

Our focus is on conducting research founded on scientific excellence, which provides knowledge and technology aimed at growing and managing trees in a profitable, sustainable and responsible way, and in this way contributing to the global competitiveness of our members.

 

The ICFR is based on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in KwaZulu-Natal, with regional offices in Sabie, Mpumalanga Province and in Zululand.


 

The ICFR was formed in 1947 as the Wattle Research Institute (WRI), a partnership between the University of Natal, Government and the wattle growers.

 

At the time, the WRI was the only research institute in the world focused on Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii), a tree species introduced from Australia for the tannins in its bark (for tanning leather products).

 

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