GEF Africa Sustainable Forestry Fund
Assets will be managed according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles and IFC Performance Standards. Plantations and concessions will be harvested and planted in a manner that ensures a sustainable balance is maintained between what is removed and regrown.
The Fund will showcase that sustainably managed Forestry Assets are an attractive and profitable opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is of key importance to establish the asset-class in the region, and may have important long-term ramifications in assisting to halt the cycle of deforestation and land degradation in the region. The Fund’s success may also have important impact in terms of rural economic development and job creation.
The fund’s sponsor, GEF Management Corporation, has a track record of 20 years in private equity investments in emerging and developed markets. This includes forestry investments in Africa.