Reforestation, Rural Employment and Energy Production – Solving Some of Africa’s Most Acute Problems
The African continent is presently offering challenges and opportunities for its population and foreign investors. Main issues are connected to poverty, lack of employment opportunities, energy not being available or too expensive.
For the poorest in African societies, local firewood and charcoal is either being free of charge or an income earner securing their livelihood. In most cases both. At the same time the complete lack of sustainable thinking and principles has a detrimental impact on forests and environment in general and thereby slowly but surely drifting towards deteriorating conditions under which they live.
Foreign Direct Investments, similar to what Mr. Lorentzen and APSD is now carrying out in Ghana, together with solid efforts in agriculture, charcoal burning and community capacity building, have the potential to stop this trend if carried out correctly and when having a critical size. Planting more trees will be a critical factor in such a strategy.
Biography
Prior to working with the African Plantations for Sustainable Development (APSD) Ghana Ltd, Finn Tvede Jacobsen was the co – owner and president of Wilhelm Ramm Ltd in Oslo, Gratenau & Hesselbacher GmbH&Co. in Hamburg and Pinnau Holz GmbH in Hamburg where he acted as an agent/trader for various pulp- and paper producers worldwide as well as a supplier of high value timber products from the Far East and Ghana to European customers. He has spent several years in Western Germany selling pulp and publication paper and in Singapore where a Far East sales and distribution concept was implemented.