Making a business with tannin extraction: The value of an agroforestry by-product in the Philippines

Agroforestry dominates subsistence farming in the Southwestern Philippines. By-products from wood and coconut production such as husks and bark from trees including bayog, ipil-ipil and acacia can be used for tannin extraction. This product serves as a natural adhesive in plywood and fibreboard production (see alsor4d COCOBOARDS ). Moreover, the tannins can be used as alternatives to toxic, synthetic wood preservatives that are currently imported from South Africa.

The community-based, forest management r4d projectPinoy Tanninhas provided an opportunity for testing materials and extraction methods. Research demonstrates that simple hot water extraction can generate tannin from agroforestry waste. In collaboration with partners from the Philippines and Switzerland, this project aims to develop the scientific, technological, social and economic base for setting up a sustainable, environmentally friendly tannin-extraction value-chain in the Philippines. Creating new revenue sources for local communities is the main goal of this work.

An extraction site has now been built and is producing tannin. Collaborations with partners from industry have been initiated to upscale production and develop market-entry strategies. In the long-term, the project envisages contributing to sustainable land use and afforestation, and should create new job opportunities among local communities.

This video-clip was produced as part of the r4d programme Digital Storytellers synthesis project. Its contents were filmed and selected by Gyulnash Wild of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with local partners in the Philippines. The digital storytelling process was accompanied and supported by Paitití Lab.Watch on YouTube.