Olam International : Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) has become the first company in Africa to achieve FSCTM project certification

Brazzaville, Congo

Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), a subsidiary of Olam Agri, has become the first company in Africa to complete a Forest Stewardship Council™(FSC™) certified project with the construction of a restaurant for employees of the Wildlife Conservation Society Congo (WCS) and Fondation Nouabale Ndoki (FNN). The project certification (FSC-P001887) means only FSC™ certified timber was used during the construction of the restaurant. The hut-restaurant has an equipped kitchen and a wooden bar which was manufactured at the same time as the structure.

All wood products used in this project came exclusively from FSC™ certified CIB sources¹, prefabricated in CIB's workshop in Pokola and took four months to assemble on site on the boundary of the Nouabale Ndoki National Park². The construction team involved are regularly trained on traceability and safety requirements related to FSC - STD - 40 - 004.

On the significance of this certification, Vincent Istace - Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, CIB said: "As a pioneer company in FSC certification in the Congo Basin, we wanted to go all the way and be the first company to carry out an FSC certified project. This demonstrates that, with our teams, we are capable of controlling the FSC management of more than 1.8 million hectares of natural forest in the Republic of Congo, transforming the wood locally and building finished products while respecting all the requirements of FSC certification (FSC-P001887)."

In 2021, CIB's annual wood production was around 300,000m3 of logs from its four Forest Management Units in Kabo, Pokola, Loundoungou-Toukoulaka and Mimbeli-Ibenga operating sites and processed in 3 industrial units (Pokola, Loundoungou and Enyelle).

There are 118 FSC-certified projects worldwide, now including the first one located on the African continent. The FSC Project Certification is project and site specific. It can be used for virtually any type of new build or refurbishment project, and for permanent or temporary structures. The CIB project is considered a "Full project certification", with all wood used being 100% FSC certified.