NFC in Uganda manages its own established timber plantations and processes high-quality wood products including sawn and kiln-dried timber; wooden pallets, solid wooden beams, and planks among other products, which the company can now sell as FSC certified to its existing and new buyers in construction and the beverage industry at national and regional levels. The company also produces electrification and telecom transmission poles.
FSC Chain of Custody certificate issued to NFC provides confirmation to its customers that the wood products they are buying come from environmentally and socially responsible sources.
According to Mr. Alois Mabutho, the NFC Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Manager, obtaining the FSC Chain of Custody certification strengthens NFC’s sustainability credentials and is a marketing tool for opening up new opportunities to new markets. “It means NFC can now effectively feed into the relevant wood supply chains to meet the growing global demand for FSC certified products,” added Mr. Mabutho.
Established in 2004 in Uganda, NFC has more than 32,000 hectares of FSC certified plantation areas in three Eastern Africa countries namely; Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania dominated by Eucalyptus and Pine species.
NFC works towards being a premier Pan-African vertically integrated, socially responsible, and a sustainable timber company with high returns to its shareholders and customers and creating opportunities for its employees and communities neighbouring its operations. NFC also helps community groups to become financially literate and improve their savings under its Forests for Prosperity (FP) model.
This model provides a win-win concrete proposition for both the company and the communities. Local communities are encouraged to perform risk mitigation strategies including fire, theft, illegal cultivation, grazing, etc…and in exchange, the company facilitates access to microfinancing and supports capacity building through technical experts.
Joan Assiimwe, NFC senior CDO and FP regional lead has this to say: “ This shared value strategy will give birth to African Forestry glory. If well implemented and managed on grounds of experience and knowledge sharing. Here is an opportunity for us to explore and convey the same to tomorrow’s generation.”
For more information about the New Forests Company: https://newforests.net/