CMO

12/09/2025

✈️ A Brief History of Drones — and Why They Matter in Forestry

🔹 Early Days (Military Roots)

1907–1918: The first “drones” weren’t even called drones — they were unmanned aircraft experiments used in World War I for reconnaissance and target practice.

1930s–1940s: Radio-controlled target drones were widely used in WWII training exercises.

👉 For decades, drones were mainly military technology focused on surveillance and combat.

🔹 Civilian Expansion (1990s–2000s)

Advances in GPS, lithium batteries, and lightweight cameras made drones smaller, cheaper, and more accessible.

By the early 2000s, scientists began using drones for forest mapping, wildlife surveys, and vegetation studies.

🔹 The Forestry Revolution (2010s–Today)

🌲 Forest Mapping & Inventory

High-resolution cameras, LiDAR, and multispectral sensors help measure tree height, canopy cover, biomass, and even species ID in hours instead of weeks.

🔥 Wildfire Management

Thermal drones detect hotspots, track fire spread, and assess post-fire damage — flying into danger zones so humans don’t have to.

🦉 Wildlife & Habitat Monitoring

Drones allow low-disturbance surveys of nesting birds, animal populations, and biodiversity.

🚜 Operational Efficiency

Timber operations use drones for pre-harvest planning, route mapping, and monitoring regeneration after harvesting.

🌍 Climate & Carbon

Paired with AI, drones help estimate carbon storage and model forests’ role in climate resilience.

🔹 What’s Next?

Autonomous fleets may patrol forests for pests, disease, or illegal logging.

Drone + AI tech is evolving toward real-time forest health dashboards.

Some startups now use drones to plant trees at scale with seed pods!

📌 Fun Fact: A single drone flight can map hundreds of hectares in one day — a job that would take weeks on foot!

11/09/2025

🌍 The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is here.

From 30 December 2025, companies placing certain products on the EU market must demonstrate that they are deforestation-free and have been produced in a legally compliant manner.

The 7 products under the EUDR:

☕ Coffee | 🍫 Cocoa | 🌱 Soy | 🥩 Beef | 🌴 Palm oil | 🌲 Wood & Charcoal | 🌿 Rubber

This isn’t just compliance—it’s a supply chain revolution.

👉 Are you ready?

With CMO Tracer, stay ahead of EUDR compliance—empowering your supply chain with verified, deforestation-free sourcing and full traceability from origin to market!

Check it out here: https://cmogroup.io/tracer-eudr/

08/09/2025

🌍 CMO South Africa Milestone! 🌍

We’re excited to share that our Group Scheme membership has grown from 928 to 1,800 members in less than a year — an impressive 94% growth! 🎉

Together, our members now cover over 28,000 hectares of sustainably managed land across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. 🌱

This remarkable achievement shows the strength of unity, collaboration, and commitment to sustainable forestry. 💚

05/09/2025

🌲✨ Forestry Fun Fact Friday! ✨🌲

🤯 Did you know the first fully mobile forestry harvester was invented in Finland in 1974 by Sakari Pinomäki?

His legendary PIKA Model 75 could fell, delimb, and cut logs to length all in ONE machine! 🚜💨

🔙 Before Harvesters:

🪓 Trees were cut with axes and hand saws

🐎 Logs were dragged out with horses and oxen

⚙️ The 1950s brought chainsaws, but most work was still manual!

🚀 The Game-Changers:

📍 1968: Pinomäki designs the PIKA Model 60, the first purpose-built processor.

📍 1974: The PIKA Model 75 becomes the first fully mobile harvester 🌟.

📍 Early 1980s: Swedish company SP Maskiner creates the first single-grip harvester head – revolutionizing efficiency!

📍 1990s onward: Harvester heads go global, adding computers & sensors for precision cuts and maximum value recovery. 🤖🌐

💡 Today’s harvesters are high-tech machines that make forestry safer, faster, and more sustainable! 🌍

03/09/2025

🌟 Welcome to the Team, Cherona Dannhauser! 🌟

We are thrilled to introduce Cherona Dannhauser as CMO’s new Certification Coordinator for Africa, Europe, and the Americas! 🌍✨

With over 20 years of experience in training, development, and business coaching, Cherona brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our team.

From Director of Dimension Training (2001–2025) to an internationally certified NLP & CBT practitioner, Microsoft Master Instructor, and Meta Associate, she has empowered individuals and organisations across industries including mining, manufacturing, education, finance, and healthcare. 💼📚

Cherona’s dedication to practical, impactful training allows her to connect with learners at all levels—from grassroots to advanced strategies. In her new role, she will use her exceptional communication skills to support and grow smallholder initiatives globally. 🌱🤝

When she’s not shaping the future of training, Cherona enjoys a good coffee ☕, breathtaking mountain views 🏞️, and cherishes life with her husband of 27 years and two adult sons in beautiful Richards Bay, KZN. ❤️

Please join us in giving Cherona a warm CMO welcome! 🎉👏

29/08/2025

🌲 Hybrid Engines in Forestry Forwarders

Forestry machines are evolving to become more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly!

🔋 Hybrid Forwarders

Komatsu Forest has unveiled a Hybrid-Electric Forwarder (HEV) prototype designed to cut fuel use and CO₂ emissions without compromising productivity or driveability.

Here’s how it works:

🔧 Engine + Generator: A smaller combustion engine powers a generator.

🔋 Battery Pack: Stores energy and balances engine load.

⚡ Electric Subsystems: Hydraulics and drive run on electricity.

⛽ Fuel: Runs on HVO100, a renewable diesel alternative made from vegetable oils.

✅ The result: Reduced fuel consumption, fewer emissions, and a step toward full electrification—especially important in remote forests where charging infrastructure is limited.

⚗️ Methanol as a Future Fuel in Forestry Machinery

Another renewable option gaining attention is green methanol (made from forestry waste, woodchips, and aquaculture byproducts).

🌱 Why Methanol Matters

Cuts CO₂ emissions by up to 95%

Drastically reduces nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, and particulates

Works in modified diesel engines (and can even be blended with standard fuels)

🔬 Real-World Testing

The ForestBiodrive project in Scotland converted a Land Rover 90 TDI to run on methanol. The vehicle performed well, showing methanol’s potential for forestry, haulage, and heavy equipment.

✅ Does Methanol Fit into Hybrid Forwarders?

Currently, Komatsu’s hybrid forwarders run on HVO100, not methanol.

But in the future, methanol could play a role if methanol-compatible hybrid engines are developed—making forestry machinery even greener.

🌍 The future of forestry is hybrid, renewable, and sustainable!

27/08/2025

Road Assessments in Ghana

CMO recently supported Form Ghana Ltd with a week-long assessment of road and stream crossings across their two plantations, Berekum and Akumadan.

The sites presented very different conditions:

🌍 Berekum – mainly ferrocrete (ouklip), relatively flat terrain, with streams that dry up for much of the year.

🌊 Akumadan – sandy soils, undulating to steep terrain, with rivers and streams that flow continuously, resembling wetland conditions with high water volumes.

Our Forestry Road Specialist, Geoff Hurd, worked closely with FORM Ghana teams to explore financially viable solutions that enhance access, safety, and fit-for-purpose designs. It was encouraging to see how the 2024 standards previously discussed have already been implemented, especially in managing water on forest roads. The improvements are clearly visible.

The team also revisited the application of standards such as humps, cross drains, and mitre drains, refining them to be easier to construct, particularly in sandy soils.

CMO extends its appreciation to Willem, Gilbert, Affum, and Tukkie from Form Ghana for their collaboration and commitment. This partnership reflects the value of sharing knowledge, building capacity, and improving sustainable forestry practices on the ground.

25/08/2025

🌍 CMO Malaysia Palm Oil Project 🌴✨

Over the past two weeks, CMO Malaysia, supported by Mavin Keuanun (CMO Asia Pacific) and Michal, successfully implemented Empower ⚙️ and Tracer 📲 in our very first palm oil project in Sabah, Malaysia.

🤝 We partnered with Verveworld, a local consultancy firm, to assist Sawit Kinabalu 🌴 in achieving compliance with EUDR requirements 📑.

🚀 This project marks an exciting milestone and has the potential to be scaled up across other palm oil companies in Malaysia 🇲🇾, Thailand 🇹🇭, and Indonesia 🇮🇩.

👏 A valuable experience for CMO and the team involved – paving the way for greater sustainability 🌱 and traceability 🔎 in the palm oil sector.

🔖

22/08/2025

🌲 Forestry Fun Fact: Why is it called a “Forwarder”?

A forwarder isn’t named because it goes forward — it’s because it forwards timber from where trees are cut to the roadside landing. 🚜🌳

✨ Quick History:

🐴 Pre-1950s – Horses and oxen dragged logs (skidding).

🚜 1950s – Farmers adapted tractors with log trailers to carry wood.

🪓 1960s–70s – Scandinavia built the first purpose-made forwarders with cranes and bunks.

⚙️ 1980s–90s – Bigger, safer, and specialized machines.

💻 2000s–Today – GPS, computers, and even hybrid engines make them smarter and greener.

✅ The name stuck because their job never changed: bringing timber forward from stump to roadside!

18/08/2025

🌍 Sustainable Biomass in Namibia

Namibia is turning the challenge of bush encroachment into an opportunity—restoring ecosystems, creating green jobs, and generating renewable energy through FSC-certified biomass harvesting. Read more in the FSC story ➡️ https://fsc.org/en/newscentre/stories/namibia-biomass

👏 A special recognition to Lilani Fourie and the CMO Namibia team for their leadership in managing FSC group certifications and supporting producers and processors. Their work is helping communities unlock the potential of biomass while safeguarding the environment.

At CMO, we remain committed to advancing sustainable forestry practices across Africa through certification, training, and technical support.

26-31 October 2025 | Panama Participate in FSC’s highest decision-making process and help influence the future of our forests

14/08/2025

🌿 Did you know? Not all paper comes from freshly cut trees!

📜 Some innovative companies are turning wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, and even hemp—all farm byproducts—into paper. That means less waste on farms and less pressure on our forests!

♻️ Plus, paper is one of the most recycled materials on the planet. Recycled fibers can be used 5–7 times before they retire, after which they can still be composted or turned into energy.

💡 So next time you recycle or choose sustainable paper, you’re helping the planet twice over!

13/08/2025

🌟 Welcome to the Team, Zandile Wambi! 🌟

We’re excited to welcome Zandile Wambi as our new Group Scheme Administrator at CMO South Africa!

Zandile is from Mtubatuba and holds a National Diploma in Human Resources Management. She brings strong administrative skills and a passion for supporting people and processes — qualities that will be a great asset to our team.

We look forward to the positive impact she’ll bring to our group scheme operations.

Welcome aboard, Zandile! 🎉