In the heart of the Congo Basin, the Republic of Congo protects one of the world’s most significant rainforests, covering over 60% of the country’s land. This forest is not only rich in biodiversity, but also crucial for the livelihoods of around 75 million people across Central Africa. Yet, it faces mounting threats from deforestation, illegal logging, agriculture, mining, and land degradation.
In response, a promising new model of forest management is emerging. It’s led by Olam Agri, through its FSC-certified subsidiary Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), in collaboration with Kamba African Rainforest Experiences and conservation NGO Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Together, they are showing how conservation and economic growth can go hand in hand, helping protect biodiversity while creating local opportunities.
A Milestone for Africa
In 2022, Olam Agri achieved a significant first, becoming the first company in Africa to complete a Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified project. The project involved building an eco-friendly restaurant at the Bomassa base inside Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, using only FSC-certified materials.
The certification ensures that the forest-based materials used came from responsibly managed sources. It’s a tangible example of how forest products can be part of sustainable development beyond logging.
“This project reflects our long-standing partnership with WCS,” said Vincent Istace, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Olam Agri. “We have been working together with WCS for over 25 years, and even before our FSC certification, we actively engaged with WCS, a crucial partner in our conservation efforts.”
The restaurant, known locally as ‘La Grande Paillote’, is now a space for community members, conservation staff, and forest managers to connect. As Stephane Koudougnon, Administrative and Financial Director at the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, puts it: “La Grande Paillote is a central gathering place for sharing meals, developing plans, and strategizing for wildlife and forest protection.”
FSC-certified wood from Olam Agri was also used to build part of the Bomassa Government Primary School, which now serves 220 children, including 116 girls and 63 Indigenous children, with improved educational facilities.
Long-Term Protection Through Partnership
Since the park’s creation in 1993, Olam Agri has worked with WCS and the Ministry of Forest Economy to support wildlife conservation. One key initiative is the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park Peripheral Ecosystems Management Project, covering over 1.5 million hectares. The project uses eco-guards, biomonitoring, and community partnerships to protect critical species like 24,000 gorillas and 6,000 forest elephants.
As part of their FSC obligations, Olam Agri also focuses on protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species, especially natural seed dispersers—animals essential for regenerating the forest. The company invests heavily in research and protection programmes and uses a data-driven approach to minimize environmental damage. By optimizing logging routes, they have reduced the length of forest trails and created a database of over 1 million tree species.
Respecting Indigenous Rights
Another key FSC requirement is Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)—a process that ensures forest-dependent communities are fully informed and agree to any forest management decisions.
Olam Agri used this approach to help secure community approval for the protection of the Djéké Triangle, a 95 square kilometre forest home to critically endangered western lowland gorillas. On February 10, 2023, the Congolese government officially gazetted the Djéké Triangle, recognizing its dual role as a conservation area and a space for sustainable community use.
Linking Tourism and Forest Protection
Looking to expand conservation through tourism, Kamba African Rainforest Experiences partnered with Olam Agri–CIB to support responsible development. Their goal: make Congo a top ecotourism destination while protecting its forests.
“We sought to explore the possibilities of collaboration – we asked ourselves, ‘How can we, as ecotourists, and Olam Agri–CIB, as foresters, work together to promote this place and create opportunities at the community level and more broadly for Congo as an ecotourism destination?’” said Elza Gilman of Kamba.
The result was the rebuilding of 24 eco-lodges at the Lango and Mboko concessions in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, all made with FSC-certified wood from Olam Agri–CIB.
“This wood is of very high quality and also local,” Gilman said. “This collaboration not only enhances the quality of our lodges but also significantly benefits the local economy. It takes many people to rebuild a lodge. Similarly, in the new lodge project, we will create many jobs during construction. We support the local economy by purchasing wood from a local company established for many years.”
Kamba’s operations now employ 100 people in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park area and impact the livelihoods of around 1,600 people in surrounding communities.
Kamba believes ecotourism will pay off in the long run, but its core mission is conservation. “We want to support Olam Agri – CIB in carrying out more certified projects in Congo for this reason,” Gilman added.
A Model Worth Following
The collaboration between CIB, Kamba, and WCS offers a working model for sustainable forest management—where certified forestry, tourism, and conservation all reinforce one another. It also supports the FSC’s broader integrated landscape certification framework, which promotes inclusivity, ecosystem management, and long-term collaboration at the local level.
Together, they’re showing that forests can be managed in a way that benefits people and nature alike—a model that could be replicated across forest concessions worldwide.
The CIB–Kamba–WCS partnership is a replicable model for sustainable forest management, combining FSC-certified forestry, ecotourism, and conservation. This approach aligns with FSC’s proposed integrated landscape certification framework, which promotes local collaboration, ecosystem management, and inclusivity. By adopting landscape-level sustainability principles, this model sets a new standard for forest concessions worldwide, proving that forests can be managed for the benefit of all, forever.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Forest Stewardship Council.
