Better Globe Forestry

Are you a Kenyan company?

Better Globe Forestry Ltd (BGF) is a limited company registered and incorporated in Kenya ( Nr.c. 113360) in 2004 as a part of the Better Globe Group from Norway. It strictly adheres to all legal requirements and has all licenses to allow it do business in Kenya. Its aim is to help fight poverty, through promoting massive tree planting, sustainable agriculture programmes, through microfinance schemes, education programmes and building schools.

What trees do you plant?

BGF plants indigenous trees very well adapted to the dry circumstances in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL).

1. Mukau (Melia volkensii)

The species is an East African member of the Meliaceae family, and grows up to 20 m tall. It typically occurs in dry bush land or dry wooded grasslands, where it often stands out because of its height. It is fast growing and produces high quality timber, comparable to mahogany. It is resistant to termites and drought.

2. Neem (Azadirachta indica)

The neem tree originates from the Indian subcontinent, and is well adapted to African conditions. It is very drought and termite resistant, and is capable of fast growth. Its value lies in a complex of chemical substances present in the leaves, bark and seeds. The most important one is Azadirachtin, and it is a very promising and essential ingredient in insecticides. The tree also has medicinal properties, hence the Swahili name of the tree “mwarubaini” meaning it can cure forty diseases.

3. Indigenous acacias (A. senegal, A. seyal and others)

Both A. senegal and A. seyal produce gum arabic. The quality and price of A. seyal gum however is lower. They are nitrogen-fixing species with a potential for soil improvement. Both species are very drought-resistant and occur in the so-called “gum belt”, a swathe of land between latitude 12^o-16^o N (about 300 km wide) stretching all along Africa, from the Atlantic to the Red Sea coast. A. senegal also grows further to the south, down to Angola, Zambia and South Africa, and is found even in the Arabian and Indian peninsulas.

BGF is preparing more acacia species for planting in Nyangoro, in areas liable to seasonal flooding. All belong to the family of the Mimosaceae.

4. Physic nut (Jatropha curcas)

The species is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, and originates from Central America, but has spread widely over the tropical parts of the world. In Kenya it is found in Western Province, Nyanza, Rift Valley (Magadi, Maralal), Eastern (Kibwezi) and Coast, in altitudes ranging between 0-1650metres above sea level. Its seeds are rich in oil and are used as a substitute or in a mix with diesel as bio fuel.

Where are BGF’s projects?

1. Kiambere

The planting area is around Lake Kiambere on Tana River, and lies in two districts, Mwingi and Mbeere, both in Eastern Province, as the Tana River forms the boundary between them. The site is about 200 km away from Nairobi. To reach it from Nairobi, one drives along Thika road for about 40 km, then takes Garissa road until shortly after Matuu, taking to the left in the direction of Embu until the road network of KenGen, with another 60 km towards the Lake. BGF’s plantations are meant to be a protective buffer between the artificial lake, created for electricity production, and the surrounding land-use (mixed subsistence farming with a high potential for erosion).

2. Sosoma Ranch

Sosoma Ranch is located in the southeastern corner of Mwingi district, bordering Tana River district at its eastern side. It is roughly 230km east-northeast from Nairobi, along the Garissa highway.

The ranch occupies 60,705 hectares and belongs to the Sosoma Cooperative Ranching Society (SCRS). This extensive piece of land is flat, contains easy-to-work-with mostly deep soils and is accessible through the asphalted highway to Garissa. It is truly dry but naturally home to both mukau and Acacia senegal.

3. Nyangoro Ranch

The total ranch occupies 32,000 hectares, two-thirds of which is under a lease agreement and of which an estimated 17,000 hectares can be planted. It is located in Lamu district in the lowlands of Kenya’s north coast. Co-ordinates are approximately 40^o 24’ east and 2^o 14’ south. The ranch can be reached by road from Nairobi driving down to Mombasa and then following the coast northwards to Malindi and then in the direction of Lamu. The distance is approximately 750 kilometres from Nairobi. A significant advantage of the ranch’s location is its proximity to Lamu port, which is being upgraded to allow the entry of big vessels.

4. Kibwezi Mukuyu Farm Ltd

The farm is situated in Kibwezi district, on a plot alongside Kibwezi River. It is 20 hectares and is located 20 km from Kibwezi town. It is 220km from Nairobi, along the Mombasa highway. BGF wants to prove that East African drylands can be exploited sustainably and profitably, creating added value and jobs for rural populations. As such, Kibwezi Mukuyu is rightly considered a model farm, and visits by neighbouring farmers and education institutions are encouraged.

Why are BGF’s projects in some places and not in others?

Better Globe Forestry Ltd. is concentrating its activities in ASAL where there is plenty of scarcely populated land and where tree planting does not compete with food production. BGF is only interested in large-scale plantations to be able to concentrate its operations and achieve economies of scale, and such areas need to be under management that is receptive to tree planting. Such areas are not available everywhere.

Are you in other countries?

Today, Better Globe Forestry Ltd. has its active projects in Kenya. However, the company has received a letter of intent from the Ugandan authorities allocating land in the north of Uganda for a large-scale afforestation project. BGF intends to start projects in the larger East African region in years to come.

Where does the project money come from?

Better Globe Forestry’s projects in Kenya are funded through the following sources:

1. Tree donations by Better Globe members who give four trees each per month to needy communities in Africa. The more members BGF recruits, the more trees donated.
2. Water donations: Better Globe members donate water units on a monthly basis with the aim of helping poor farmers in ASAL to access or manage water resources.
3. Better Globe membership:  The members pay on a monthly basis at an ever-increasing membership base.
4. Investors in forestry plantations who pay for “tree packages” as a long-term investment.
5. Local BGF activities.

Do you buy the land?

Better Globe Forestry Ltd does not own the land on which its projects are based. It is acquired through long-term lease agreements with the legal administrative guarantee that the trees belong to BGF.

How big are your projects?

In industrial afforestation terms, one always talks about very big projects. The Sosoma Ranch is 60,705 hectares, the Kiambere project will cover 5,000 hectares and the Nyangoro Ranch is 21,000 hectares. In Uganda, BGF has a letter of intent for 50,000 hectares.

What are you going to do with the trees when you cut them?

The product from the trees, be it timber, gum or oil, will be processed on site, up to the finished stage. Better Globe Forestry will therefore set up processing plants at its different sites. However, harvesting gum from trees like Acacia senegal is done on a yearly basis, and cutting only takes place after the productive lifetime of the tree, like 25 years later.

Do you get carbon credits?

No, today carbon credits are not in the picture. However, BGF is following carefully the evolutions in this domain.

How long do the trees take to mature?

Mukau

After eight years, a thinning takes place that can be processed in a sawmill. The remainder of the tree is felled between ages 15 - 20 years, depending on site quality (earlier on a good site).

Neem

Neem trees start giving fruits and seeds after 5 - 8 years and then annual harvesting can take place. As this is non-destructive harvesting, the tree can grow quite old, over 60 years, before losing vitality.

Acacia

A. senegal and A. seyal can start being exploited for their gum after 3 - 4 years. Gum yield reaches a stable level by 9 - 10 years. The trees keep on growing until they reach the end of their productive life (about 25 years).

Jatropha

Fruits of Jatropha can be harvested from the second year onwards, and the yield increases to a stable level around year 5 - 7. Jatropha bushes will survive under exploitation for at least 30 years.

However, BGF has decided not to cultivate this species anymore.

Do you water the trees?

It is critical to water the trees in the first year, as we do not always plant during the rains, and even these rains are unpredictable. As the species are indigenous and adapted to the arid circumstances in which we work, they are able to grow on their own after that initial period.

Why did BGF decide to stop growing Jatropha?

There are several reasons. First, its yield in dryland conditions (of which we have first-hand experience) is much lower than previously hyped on the Internet. Secondly, the species is susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases and as such requires a high level of investment in plant protection. Thirdly, the international market for Jatropha has shrunk as growing of bio-fuels has been discredited. Bio-fuels are said to compete with food production and to destroy biodiversity, among other adverse effects. The future energy for vehicles is more likely to be electric or LPG, rather than bio-fuels, except for energy derived from sugar cane and cellulosis (wood).