CV Issue 1 2018

CORPORATE VISION / Issue 1 2018 31 Eradicating Poverty in Africa Through Profits. g “Secondly, we also have a microfinance deal for the farmers, to kickstart their entrepreneurship into agroforestry and we teach them how to make the best out of their farms. “Lastly, we build schools and educate children, in cooperation with the NGO ‘Child Africa International’ and teach them honesty and integrity in order to eradicate corruption long term. So far, after 13 years, we have had great success in all the three areas. After 13 years, of what we call only a ‘Pilot project,’ we have planted over 1.5 million trees, we have helped approx. 5000 families out of extreme poverty and we have helped over 10,000 children through school, but this is just the beginning. In the years to come, we will plant 8-9 billion trees, we will help millions of farmers out of poverty and support millions of children in schools.” In order to fulfil its targets of planting enough trees in the right amount of time, the company has had to build partnerships, comprising of trust and understanding, enabling a positive outcome. Rino points us towards the firm’s partnership with other laboratories, whilst also hinting at the possibility of Better Globe Forestry opening its own facility. “For us to manage to plant so many trees fast enough, we have worked with a university forestry laboratory in Ghent in Belgium over a period of 10 years, so we could develop the protocol for cloning out trees in their laboratory. We now have that and in 2018 we will build our own laboratory in Kenya and start cloning our trees there. When that is operating, we will be able to clone millions of trees very fast, so we can speed up the planting process. This way, we will be able to reach our goal of planting 8-9 billion trees and thereby eradicating poverty in Africa.” Interestingly, Better Globe Forestry is a unique company in the modern times. It is a company that simultaneously puts the planet and its people first, and pays attention to both equally. It is a company consisting of a forward-thinking and purpose-driven attitude, making itself a key component of