Pioneering Sustainable Forest Management in the Congo Basin
At Olam Agri, we’re not just managing forests — we’re reshaping how value is created at the heart of the Congo Basin, where over 60% of the Republic of Congo is covered by globally significant rainforests. Through our FSC® certified subsidiary1, Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), and in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Kamba African Rainforest Experiences, we are building a new model: one that combines selective logging, conservation, and local development across over two million hectares.
In 2022 we became the first company in Africa to complete an FSC® certified project2, with the construction of an eco-friendly restaurant at Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. What makes this achievement truly pioneering is its circularity: Congolese wood, harvested responsibly in FSC-certified concessions, was processed locally by Congolese workers and reinvested into a national conservation landmark.
This project exemplifies our model—where forest value is created, transformed, and reinjected into the country—generating local employment, strengthening national pride, and demonstrating that responsible forest management can be a driver of systemic change.
We believe value lies not just in timber, but in what a standing forest can provide—climate regulation, biodiversity, cultural continuity, and new economic opportunities. That’s why we support conservation bonds and long-term incentives that reward keeping forests standing.
Together with our partners, through ecotourism partnerships, engagement with local communities, we are proving that forests can thrive while driving economic growth.
Our model sets a new standard for sustainable forestry—one that ensures forests remain a vital resource for generations to come and that tropical forestry can be a lever for climate, people, and prosperity—not a compromise between them.
1 FSC-C014998/FSC-C128941/FSC-C104637/FSC-C156094/FSC-C005457
2 SGSCH-PRO-600038
