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News & Press

Joint commercial tree planting program supported by Better Globe Forestry

Smallholder farmers benefit from afforestation program

On February 22, Mr. Keriako Tobiko, CBS, SC, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry had a tour at Better Globe Forestry's Plantation in Kiambere. There they learned more about how the joint commercial tree planting program, supported by Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and Better Globe Forestry (BGF), has been benefical for more than 4,500 smallholder farmers in the Embu and Kitui Counties. They also discussed the importance of having a strategic collaboration between private sector entities and government agencies to reach the 10% tree cover in Vision 2030.

Better Globe Forestry among the 20 Most Admired Companies of 2018

Better Globe - Green Messiah of the Africa

Mirror Review depicts achievements of companies and entrepreneurs and sheds light on innovations they are carrying to disrupt the current market scenario. Doing so, they picked Better Globe Forestry among the 20 Most Admired Companies of 2018.

Better Globe receives Gazelle prize for 2017

Social Entrepreneurship #1 on Best Seller List

Social Entrepreneurship – The Better Globe Way is an insightful and educational journey into the struggles faced by rural African communities. Rino Solberg helps readers understand how Better Globe Forestry is a unique company that has fully embraced poverty reduction in Africa as its main objective. In this book, you will learn more than how trees help the environment and poor communities; you will also learn just how powerful social entrepreneurship can be if companies, NGOs, governments, and people start building Africa the Better Globe Way.

Our CEO Rino Solberg interviewed by Business Worldwide Magazine at London Stock Exchange

Better Globe's Business Model is Catching Interest at London Stock Exchange

Rino Solberg’s interview with Business Worldwide Magazine depicts the entrepreneur exactly how he is: an experienced businessman with decades of training and humanitarian efforts in his repertoire. In his interview, Rino explains how Better Globe Forestry works, what the business model does for others, and how trees can save the planet and rural communities.

Better Globe receives Gazelle prize for 2017

10th Place of Norway's Most Successful Companies

The Gazelles are Norway's fastest growing and most successful companies. Every year, Dagens Næringsliv proclaims Norwegian counties and the country's most successful gazelles. Better Globe AS had a 537 percent increased revenue for the past four years and received a Gazelle prize for tenth place out of 146 other nominated companies in Østfold, Norway.

Rino Solberg - Most Innovative CEO - Kenya

Phase 3 of School's Green Initiative Challenge Begins

Now entering its third phase, the Green Initiative Challenge (GIC) plans to include 99 new schools in its expansion. The project has helped implement environmental awareness in schools by keeping students active in the tree planting process. As a partnership between two entities dedicated to social responsibilities, the GIC is continuing its goal of covering 460 acres with over 400,000 seedlings total.

Rino Solberg - Most Innovative CEO - Kenya

Foundation appoints Rino as goodwill ambassador

Among Rino Solberg's recent accomplishments is his appointment as Goodwill Ambassaor and Chief Consultant of the Atlantic Victoria Foundation. The foundation recognizes innovative intellectualism that contributes to the economic transformation across Africa. Through his work, Solberg has been able to create social change in East African communities with economic security.

Rino Solberg - Most Innovative CEO - Kenya

Most Innovative CEO - Kenya

Operating its head offices and plantations in Kenya and Uganda, Better Globe Forestry Ltd. is intent on developing business and eradicating poverty in Africa. The company is run by Rino Solberg, who gives us an insight into how his innovative company has achieved success on the continent.

The awareness of nature's lungs we arise,
to plant trees full of life.

- Better Globe Media -
Semi-arid lands' wonder tree - mukau

Weapon Against Drought

Jan Vandenabeele of Better Globe Forestry says the mukau (melia volkensii) tree is one of humanity's best weapons to fight drought in Africa. With mukau you can sustainably create some wealth in dry, rural areas.

Maize intercropped with melia volkensii (mukau) trees

Rural communities are turning their attention to growing the drought-tolerant melia volkensii (mukau) tree

In Kenya’s semi-arid regions that are grappling with climate change, rural communities are turning their attention to growing the drought-tolerant melia volkensii (mukau) tree. This fast maturing hardwood tree has multiple uses and its timber is lucrative and in high demand.

Arid land wonder tree, mukau, spurs new economic opportunities

Arid land wonder tree spurs new economic opportunities

  • By CleanLeap
  • |
  • Dec 21, 2016
  • |
  • Photo courtesy: Robert Muhereza

With support from Better Globe Forestry (BGF), 2,000 farmers have each set aside 2 acres to grow the mukau (melia volkensii) tree. According to Jan Vandenabeele of BGF, mukau is one of the best options to reduce droughts in dry lands. BGF is providing farmers with technical advice and seedlings.

Prime Minister Rugunda Hails Norwegian Investors for establishing Child Africa

Prime Minister Rugunda Hails Norwegian Investors

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda of Uganda hailed Norwegian investors for establishing Child Africa, an organization that runs centers for the rehabilitation and education of vulnerable children in Uganda. Child Africa started in 1991 in Kabale Town as a center for needy children before establishing other centers at Equator, Tororo, Kampala and Kasese, which also benefit more than 15,000 children through education and other essential needs.

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness - John Muir
Building a green economy through Public Private Partnership

Building a green economy through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives

In 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that aims to end poverty and inequalities and combat climate change. Many government entities and corporations have collaborated to bring to life the greening of the economy through environmental sustainability programs. One of these is the partnership between Bamburi Cement, KenGen Foundation and Better Globe Forestry Foundation.

Schools' Green Initiative Challenge

What is Schools' Green Initiative Challenge?

The project acts as a change to establish a tree-planting culture in dry-land areas through participating schools. The main objective is greening of over 460 acres of semi-arid land. The afforestation competition is in line with the Government of Kenya’s Vision 2030 to achieve 10 percent forest cover across the country.

Better Globe won 4th place Gazelle prize

Better Globe Won 4th Place Gazelle Prize

On October 28, 2016, Better Globe AS received a Gazelle Prize for an honorable 4th place out of 110 other nominated companies in Østfold, Norway. The sales company's turnover has increased with more than 600 percent over the past four years, where they had NOK 22.4 million in revenue in 2015. Dagfinn Rognerud was present and accepted the award on behalf of Better Globe AS in Sarpsborg, Norway. A gazelle company must have:

  • Submitted approved accounting.
  • At least doubled its turnover over four years.
  • Sales of over 1 million Norwegian kroners the first year.
  • Overall positive operating profit.
  • Avoided negative growth.
  • Been a corporation.
Ukambani is moving from brown to green through the Green Initiative Challenge

Ukambani is Moving from Brown to Green

Pupils in Kitui County are growing trees in their schools to fight drought through a program supported by The Green Initiative Challenge. Seeing the contrast of the woodlot and the rest of the school compound in the past six months has brought hope that it is possible to transform the environment.

Schools in dry regions plant trees

Schools in dry regions plant trees to change their environment

13-year-old Joyce Nduku Mutunga explains how her school’s Green Club teaches her and her classmates about trees and their effect on the environment. She nurtures her tree by watering it twice a week and applies manure on it, which she continues throughout the December holidays when her school is closed.

Panda Miti magazine

Panda Miti - Tree magazine for children

The Panda Miti magazine is a tool used by the Green Initiative Challenge to increase tree-planting knowledge among children at schools who participate in the environmental restoration and conservation program.

Mentoring the next Wangari Maathais

An afforestation initiative, dubbed Green Initiative Challenge, is teaching young students to care for their environment

The tree cover in Kenya has suffered due to more cutting than planting over several decades. The Green Initiative Challenge, funded by Kengen Foundation, Better Globe Forestry and Bamburi Cement, has involved children and teachers at over 100 schools to plant trees as part of their practical studies through their afforestation project.

If a tree dies, plant another in its place.

- Linnaeus -
Better Globe Forestry received Taxpayers 2015 Award

Taxpayers 2015 Award

Better Globe Forestry received the distinguished Taxpayers 2015 award for Best Corporation Tax Yield — Small and Medium Enterprises. Lawrence Muema, Finance Manager of Better Globe Forestry, accepted the award on behalf of Better Globe Forestry in a ceremony graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

KenGen MD meets with Better Globe Chairman Rino Solberg

KenGen MD meets with Better Globe Chairman

Better Globe Chairman Rino Solberg and Eng. Mugo from KenGen exchanged views on the sustainable greening of the 7-Forks area through commercial tree planting as well as broad issues touching on poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship.
(See page 5)

Friends of Belgium visiting Better Globe Forestry Plantation in Kiambere

Belgium Club visits Better Globe Forestry Plantation in Kiambere

Better Globe Forestry is a focus point of Belgians in Kenya. The ambassador of Belgium to Kenya regularly visits Better Globe Forestry’s projects there, and is interested in our ventures because we expand beyond the normal scope of tree planting.

School project transforms students into conservation ambassadors

School project transforms students into conservation ambassadors

The need to teach younger generations about conservation has never been more urgent, especially in the face of a changing climate. Ecosystems and tourism manager Albert Musando says, "This is a culture change campaign to make the children appreciate the environment. When they grow and start working, they understand that industries should drive activities with respect to environment."

Child Africa won the prestigious Tumaini Award in the category Education

TUMAINI Award

Individuals, civil society organizations, companies and members of the media who have made significant contributions and efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda were recognized at the TUMAINI Awards on June 13, 2014. Our partner Child Africa received first place, competing with about 50 other NGOs/CBOs in the education category. This was the biggest group of the prestigious Tumaini Awards Program that year.

Tor Arne Rønningen interviewed by Glåmdalen News about his visit to Better Globe Forestry's plantations

Tor Arne Rønningen from Flisa, Norway, contributes in a bigger forestry project in Kenya

Tor Arne is one of many thousand tree owners through Better Globe who visited Better Globe Forestry's plantations in Kenya and Child Africa's school projects in Uganda during a customer trip in 2013. In this interview, Tor Arne talks about his trip and shares his experiences of how Better Globe Forestry plants trees in the dry and impoverished areas of Kenya, provides water to the projects and to the locals, and contributes towards refurbishment and building of schools.

Tor Arne Rønningen interviewed by Glåmdalen News about his visit to Better Globe Forestry's plantations

Jim Henning Olsen, a teacher at Fredheim in Norway, spent his summer vacation to support our project in Kenya

Not only did Jim visit our tree plantations and supported schools, but he also brought a lot of clothes to donate to Kenyan school children. Some of the clothes came from Norwegian schools and had missing owners. The uniforms given from Brandbu Sports Association were very popular among the children.

MoU signed between KenGen, Better Globe Forestry and Bamburi Cement

KenGen Foundation, Bamburi Cement Ltd and Better Globe Forestry Ltd sign a Kshs. 120 Million MoU for environmental Conservation

Under the Kshs. 120 Million MoU, the Green Initiative Challenge is scaling up to a 10-year program with 2 phases to include an additional 120 schools annually from Mbeere South, Mbeere North, Masinga and Kitui Sub-Counties. The goal is to plant a total of 460 acres with 300,000 commercial and wood fuel trees and 113,956 fruits trees in 919 new schools over that period.

Following Wangari Maathai's initiatives

Africa needs to remain focused and continue following the late Wangari Maathai’s initiatives

The United Nations estimated that, by the time of Professor Wangari Maathai’s death, over 11 billion trees had been planted, especially in Africa, by different organizations through her campaign. According to Jan Vandenabeele, the executive director of Better Globe Forestry, there remains a need for civil society and social organizations to join hands to plant more trees and harvest them sustainably. But, he said, Kenya may be close to achieving Maathai’s dream.

Better Globe Forestry - A tree-planting company with a difference, Miti 10

Better Globe Forestry introduces an innovative business model for sustainable development

In this Miti magazine, we had some articles that also mentioned Better Globe Forestry (BGF). BGF operations consist mainly of "sustainable agricultural programs through microfinance systems, educational programs and building schools." Mr. Meite asks how many examples exist in the world of a private company promoting massive planting of trees in ASAL where the trees are not competing with food production?

Jean-Paul Deprins from Better Globe Forestry moderated the United Nations Day of Biological Diversity

The importance of forests is recognized as world marks Day of Biological Diversity

Every year, May 22 is celebrated as United Nations Day of Biological Diversity. This year, the theme of the celebration was Forests and Biodiversity, in line with the declaration of 2011 as the International Year of Forests.

Strand highschool in Norway raised money to support the NGO Child Africa in Uganda

From Uganda with memories for life

Strand High School in Norway raised money to support Child Africa in Uganda. One teacher and three students visited Child Africa to see how money was being spent and how its schools operate. With the help of Rosemary Søyland, general manager of Child Africa, they got a life time experience far out of their comfort zone.

Child Africa's school in Kabale gives hope to needy children

Child Africa's school in Kabale gives hope to needy children

Our NGO partner Child Africa gives education to pupils with disabilities in Kabale, Uganda. Educating empoverished vulnarable children is one key element to bring a country out of poverty. Child Africa also focuses on building honesty and integrity among them to save the country from future corruption.

In the time of need,
plant another seed,
nurture it and feed,
and a tree will lead,
to a better treat,
that nothing can beat.

- Better Globe Media -

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