Press release
19th Oct, 2021
Gorilla Coffee Alliance to Enhance Rural Livelihoods and Wildlife Conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
USAID, Nespresso, Olam Food Ingredients, TechnoServe, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Asili will partner to support sustainable agriculture and rural enterprise to reduce threats to the critically endangered Grauer’s gorilla
South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen years of economic and political turmoil, which has impacted the well-being of local communities and threatened the unique biodiversity of the area. Now, a new partnership will promote better livelihoods for local farmers and protect the region’s endemic and critically endangered Grauer’s gorilla.
The Gorilla Coffee Alliance was launched today by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Nespresso; Olam Food Ingredients (OFI); international nonprofits, TechnoServe and the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Congolese social enterprise, Asili. Over five years, this initiative will partner with 8,500 farming households to improve their coff
Press release
16th Aug, 2021
Partnership agreed with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Republic of Congo to protect wildlife and biodiversity
CIB, Olam’s wood and forestry subsidiary, renews agreement to protect wildlife and biodiversity around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in northern Congo
Singapore
Olam International’s subsidiary Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) of the Republic of Congo have renewed their partnership agreement to protect wildlife around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in northern Congo. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognised for the importance of its animal and plant biodiversity.
The renewed agreement was signed on 8th August 2021 in Pokola, Congo-Brazzaville, in the presence of the Minister of Forestry Economy, Her Excellence Madam Rosalie Matondo, and the Minister of Preschool, Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy, His Excellence Mister Jean-Luc Mouthou. The agreement bolsters the effort to combat poaching in forestry concessions where CIB op
News
22nd Nov, 2021
Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) inaugurates 3rd timber processing unit in Republic of Congo
Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) recently inaugurated its 3rd processing unit in the presence of the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF), Republic of Congo, Her Excellency Mrs Rosalie Matondo.
CIB continues to remain committed to maximising the value addition at source and supporting the local economy through job creation in the industry and ecological and social programmes. The Enyelle timber processing unit is a giant leap forward with its state-of-the-art manufacturing line, making it one of the most modern processing units in the Republic of Congo and West Africa.
Built on an area of 46,000 m2, the first phase of the processing line will produce around 1,500 M3 of finished products per month. The automated line boasts modern equipment, including a customised opticut machine which guarantees the maximum recovery of defect-free products. The project's second phase is expected to finish by the first quarter of 2022, scaling up the monthly production to 2,500 M3. The processing un
News
2nd Nov, 2020
Launch of digital initiative will strengthen support and engagement with rural communities in Republic of Congo
Operating in the north of the Republic of the Congo, Congoalise Industrielle des Bois has been present in the region since 1968.
The Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability team of CIB have immense knowledge about the region. Every week they go out on the field to sensitise the communities and indigenous populations on various themes pertaining to health, safety, rights, and family related issues. Earlier this year, we launched Project OKA, where audio related to various topics was recorded in Lingala and Mbengele in questions-answers format, and saved in devices for the communities to listen.
However, there is a human element in these visits that no device or technology can replace. When the members of the social teams return, they report their observations over discussions or emails to the team. This deep understanding of the region is always supported with pictures, videos, audio interviews. However, this fragmentation of the knowledge, and the loss in narrative when the emplo
Blog
1st Jul, 2020
Oka - Listening to the Congo Basin
CIB’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Team spends hundreds of days each year on the ground, listening to and engaging with the local population. The Baaka, the indigenous population of Congo, and Bantus who are the majority of the population live within our forest concessions since our arrival in 1968, listening and speaking with the local peoples has been critical to building mutual respect and understanding.
Regular communications in this region does have challenges and requires innovative thinking. The varied terrain with marshes, savannahs, forest and rivers make travelling a feat and the rains do not make gathering a community or a village easier. The majority of the local population is nomadic in nature and the hunters and gatherers often only come back at sundown, and it can prove harder to have meaningful engagement or conversations at the end of the day. And most importantly, the plethora of local dialects and languages means it is essential to communicate in the
Blog
1st Nov, 2019
The Goualougo Triangle - In Conversation with David Morgan
David Morgan and Crickette Sanz are co-directors of the Goualougo Triangle Ape Research Project which is a long-term research project focusing on the behavioural ecology of chimpanzees and gorillas in the Congo Basin. David, who is based at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, has been working in the Republic of Congo around the The Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park since 1996. Here he explains the history, the status and the importance of the Goualougo Triangle.
