Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) has become the first company in Africa to achieve FSC project certification
Brazzaville, Congo: Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), a subsidiary of Olam Agri, has become the first company in Africa to complete a Forest Stewardship Council™(FSC™) certified project with the construction of a restaurant for employees of the Wildlife Conservation Society Congo (WCS) and Fondation Nouabale Ndoki (FNN). The project certification (FSC-P001887) means only FSC™ certified timber was used during the construction of the restaurant. The hut-restaurant has an equipped kitchen and a wooden bar which was manufactured at the same time as the structure.
All wood products used in this project came exclusively from FSC™ certified CIB sources[1], prefabricated in CIB’s workshop in Pokola and took four months to assemble on site on the boundary of the Nouabale Ndoki National Park[2]. The construction team involved are regularly trained on traceability and safety requirements related to FSC – STD – 40 – 004.
On the significance of this certification, Vincent Istace – Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, CIB said: “As a pioneer company in FSC certification in the Congo Basin, we wanted to go all the way and be the first company to carry out an FSC certified project. This demonstrates that, with our teams, we are capable of controlling the FSC management of more than 1.8 million hectares of natural forest in the Republic of Congo, transforming the wood locally and building finished products while respecting all the requirements of FSC certification (FSC-P001887).”
In 2021, CIB’s annual wood production was around 300,000m3 of logs from its four Forest Management Units in Kabo, Pokola, Loundoungou-Toukoulaka and Mimbeli-Ibenga operating sites and processed in 3 industrial units (Pokola, Loundoungou and Enyelle).
There are 118 FSC-certified projects worldwide, now including the first one located on the African continent. The FSC Project Certification is project and site specific. It can be used for virtually any type of new build or refurbishment project, and for permanent or temporary structures. The CIB project is considered a "Full project certification", with all wood used being 100% FSC certified.
About Olam Agri
Olam Agri is a market leading, differentiated food, feed and fibre agri-business with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 33 years. With a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets and products across grains & oilseeds, animal feed & protein, rice, edible oils, specialty grains & seeds, cotton, wood products, rubber and commodity financial services, Olam Agri is at the heart of global food and agri-trade flows with more than 40 million MT in volume traded annually. Focused on transforming food, feed and fibre for a more sustainable future, it aims at creating value for customers, enable farming communities to prosper sustainably and strive for a food-secure future. Olam Agri is a fully owned subsidiary of Olam Group.
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About Olam Group
Olam Group is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to global customers worldwide. Its value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, Olam currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalisation on SGX-ST.
Since June 2020, Olam has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a global sustainable investment index series developed by FTSE Russell, following a rigorous assessment of Olam’s supply chain activities, impact on the environment and governance transparency.
About Forest Stewardship Council™(FSC™)
FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven sustainable forest management solution. Currently, over 231 million hectares of forest worldwide is certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social, and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are sustainably sourced, from forest to consumer. www.fsc.org.
About Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park
Covering 4000km2 of intact primary rainforest, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park harbors globally important populations of iconic endangered mammals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and forest elephants.
For almost 30 years, this unique ecosystem has been protected by the combined efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) resulting in an innovative public-private partnership permitted delegated management in 2014 for 25 years.
The Park relies on the support of the surrounding communities, who are involved in conservation decision-making, employed by the park, and benefit from the positive impacts of conservation (such as access to water, health care and education).
Th Park deploys over 100 rangers to combat poaching and is a regional leader in implementing scientific research to better understand this unique environment.
Thanks to the good collaboration with the CIB, the park has been able to extend its anti-poaching activities since 1999 into the neighboring forestry concessions, creating a buffer zone that gives better protection to the park.
In 2012, the Park became an UNESCO World Heritage Site, marking global recondition for its outstanding biodiversity.
Media contact
Name: Vincent Istace, Olam Agri
Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability
T: +242 06 510 43 40 |+242 05 620 62 00
E: vincent.istace@olamagri.com
Name: Elizabeth Nnoko, Olam Agri
Communications Manager
T: +255 789 791 186
E: elizabeth.nnoko@olamagri.com