Building an Inclusive Future: Addressing Diversity and Equity in Forestry Jobs
In addition to the destructive wildfires across Canada, the forestry sector faces another significant challenge, a lack of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Women and racialized communities are severely underrepresented in the forestry sector. According to a 2021 report on the Canadian forestry sector, women made up 48% of the Canadian workforce but only 17% of the forestry sector. Indigenous people are well-represented in the forestry sector, making up 7% of the forestry sector which is higher than their share of the general population (4.9%). However, visible racialized minorities only represent 9% of the forestry sector, despite making up 22.3% of the general population.
The underrepresentation of marginalized communities limits the diverse perspectives and innovation needed to address issues in the forestry sector. These issues are concerning especially since the forestry sector has expected critical job shortages due to reasons such as post-secondary education prerequisites and environmental-specific competency requirements.
To better understand how to address the historical lack of diversity and inclusion in the forestry sector, organizations need to examine the historical reasons and patterns of exclusion practices, analyze current data on the lack of diversity, and rectify their discriminatory practices that exclude marginalized groups from the forestry sector.
Historical Context of Exclusion in the Forestry Sector
One of the racialized groups underrepresented in the forestry sector is Black Canadians. From the 1500s to 1770s, enslaved Africans in North America were forced to clear forests for the agricultural demands of slave owners. Many runaway slaves escaped their plantations by using their awareness of the forests throughout North America. After slavery was abolished, white supremacist terrorists used their forestry knowledge to lynch freed slaves. Black North Americans expanded their uses of the forest to sustenance and herbal medicine. In particular, many Black men worked in the conservation sector at national forests and other public lands. Black people made up 25% of the forest sector workforce in the 1900s. However, that percentage dwindled to less than 3% by 2010. This decline in workforce participation from the Black community in the forestry sector is attributed to active discouragement from considering forestry and agriculture careers during the American segregation era.
Indigenous peoples have a distinct bond with the environment that includes intergenerational knowledge about Canadian forests. They have a long history of forest management that is essential for subsistence, ceremonial, and economic practices. This specialized knowledge has encouraged forestry companies and organizations to form partnerships with Indigenous communities, leading to improved representation for them in the forestry sector. Even though Indigenous peoples are well-represented in the forestry sector, they are more likely to be hired for part-time work and less likely to occupy senior management and leadership positions. Receiving career advancements (eg. promotions and bonuses) within the forestry sector is more challenging for Indigenous forestry workers compared to white forestry workers. This is a similar trend for other underrepresented groups in the forestry sector.
Furthermore, Indigenous peoples’ relationship with the land is still dishonoured by forestry workers who are not making active efforts to promote justice and reconciliation. In 2021, an intense conflict between Indigenous environmental activists and predominantly white forestry workers occurred at Walbarn Valley, BC where months of peaceful protests have called for a stop to old-growth logging. The activists experienced racist harassment by being subject to disparaging comments relating to welfare stereotypes and land origin. Racially tense incidents such as this one uncover the racial biases that perpetuate discrimination against Indigenous and racialized Canadians when finding employment in the forestry sector.
In addition to prevalent racial discrimination in the forestry sector, there is significant gender discrimination to address within the industry. Women are historically underrepresented in the forestry sector due to gender norms and stereotypes that are reinforced to discourage their workforce participation. Forestry work is depicted as a masculine occupation that requires a man’s strength and skill. Women are stereotyped as delicate and fragile and thus incapable of working in the forestry sector because of how heavy-duty, dirty, and dangerous the work is considered to be.
Marginalized forestry workers also experience discrimination and exclusion within forestry workspaces. They often feel ignored when there are new professional development and promotion opportunities available or when they want to voice their input on projects. Moreover, they feel pressure to be exceptional compared to other co-workers who receive promotions for a lesser amount of work required.
Benefits of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Forestry
Incorporating initiatives and strategies that promote DEI in the forestry sector improve workplace culture, profitability, creativity, and productivity. Diverse and inclusive companies are 35% more profitable and 32% more productive than non-diverse and inclusive companies. This is because diverse teams provide innovative and more creative solutions, thus creating a more healthy and productive work environment.
While many companies may appear diverse overall, BIPOC and female-identifying workers are underrepresented in upper management and leadership roles, as opposed to their representation in lower management and entry-level positions. Research indicates that increasing racial diversity within upper and lower management by 1% results in a financial gain of approximately $729 to $1590 per year per employee. DEI can also improve employee retention. Organizations that have diverse workplaces increase their employee retention by 68.3%. Overall, DEI in the forestry sector are not just a matter of social justice; DEI provides significant financial advantages for forestry organizations.
Strategies and Initiatives for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
To reap the benefits of incorporating DEI into the forestry sector, there are various strategies that organizations can implement.
1. Companies that receive federal funding for forestry programs should be required to implement a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan that will improve representation and wage equity for marginalized communities. This plan should include anti-discrimination policies and data collection processes to better understand how marginalized communities are underrepresented in the forestry sector.
2. There should be more forestry scholarships and bursaries that encourage youth, women, and racialized Canadians to start careers in the forestry sector. These scholarships can be given by governments and forestry associations and companies. Currently, available scholarships for marginalized forestry students or workers include the Forestry Councils' Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program and Hydro One's William Peyton Hubbard Award.
3. Incorporate equitable and anti-discriminatory hiring, recruitment, and retention policies and practices. Discrimination towards underrepresented groups in the employment process starts as early as discarding applications with non-Eurocentric and feminine names. DEI policies in the employment process include implementing anonymous screening for hiring, advertising open job positions to more diverse audiences, and creating a bias checklist to ensure equitable recruitment strategies. Resources such as the Green Equity Guide can help employers incorporate equitable hiring practices into their employment process.
4. Create and support more mentorship programs. Mentorship programs can provide personalized support and guidance for marginalized individuals looking for work in the forestry sector. Moreover, mentors can provide mentees with the skills and knowledge needed for forestry careers and can expand their professional network. Forestry organizations such as Project Learning Tree (PLT) Canada offer a mentorship program to help youth advance their green career development. The Green Career Centre also offers a green career mentorship program each year.
5. Promote personalized green job boards. Youth often face difficulties finding forestry careers on generic job boards such as LinkedIn and Indeed. Fortunately, there are personalized green job boards and LinkedIn groups that promote daily job opportunities for youth looking for green careers in the forestry industry, such as the GCC’s Youth Green Jobs Network. PLT Canada’s Green Jobs page also has various career development resources such as daily job opportunities and career training courses that jobseekers can take.
Takeaways
Making the forestry sector more diverse and inclusive of marginalized communities not only addresses the systemic barriers that these groups face but also benefits forestry companies and organizations overall. While there are current initiatives that attempt to address discrimination and underrepresentation of underserved groups in the forestry sector, there needs to be more funding and a wider option of opportunities to promote equitable access to forestry jobs. By embracing and empowering underrepresented communities with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed in the forestry sector, we can develop a more equitable and thriving industry. Looking for job opportunities and mentorship programs in the forestry sector? Follow us on social media for new green job opportunities and professional development resources.
