Many projects and activities

FSC and PAFC recertification audits for forestry management and for chain of custody (CoC) were carried out successfully at our two sites in Bambidie and Owendo. With this continued high level and our dual certification, we remain the pioneering company in sustainable forest management in the tropics.

After several audits were conducted online in 2021 due to travel restrictions, the audits took place on site again in 2022. This is a major advantage for the work and inspection activities of the auditors and also in the interest of workflow.

In September, FSC Week 2022 – organized by FSC itself – was held in Bambidie. The aim was to highlight the importance of certification using practical examples.

In addition to our certification activities, our projects in the past year included the following:

• At the beginning of the school year, we carried out another school supplies campaign. Educational resources procured in large quantities were given to the children of our employees at reduced prices, enabling them to start school successfully.
• Our public-private partnership on fauna protection with the ministry responsible for forestry and the NGO Conservation Justice continued with success. Employees of the three partners stationed in Bambidie regularly patrol our forest area to prevent poaching and to protect wildlife. The project has already had considerable success, underscoring the importance of this partnership. The necessary skills can be guaranteed and the fauna can be protected effectively only thanks to the cooperation of all three partners. Project financing is secured until the end of 2022. Follow-up financing is currently being sought, with the aim of continuing and expanding the project.
• In 2022, our engagement on behalf of protecting flora and fauna was again noticed and taken up by the media. Last year, we again welcomed media representatives and were able to realize joint projects including an ATIBT campaign and a NZZ Format report. The filming in our operation necessary for these projects means significant extra work for us, but it also means we can reach a large audience, present our activities, and generate interest in sustainable forestry. The NZZ Format report was broadcast in 2022 and is available on the NZZ Format website. The films for the ATIBT campaign have been published on the ATIBT YouTube channel.
• The P3FAC-AFRITIMB research project was continued. The goal of this project is to study forest dynamics in the Congo Basin and to better understand the interrelationships in the context of sustainable forest management. In order to provide researchers with reliable reference data, we have excluded one zone from forest management especially for the purpose of gaining these insights. The data continues to be provided to the AfriTRON and RAINFOR global research projects. Other research projects of universities and NGOs from Gabon, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States, Germany, France, and Switzerland were also actively supported, including our research project for cultivating and planting rare tree species in our own tree nursery.
• The cultural agenda and activities of the Centre Culturel were limited in 2021 due to the pandemic. In 2022, the Centre Culturel was again able to offer a full programme, celebrating its fifth year since completion and opening.