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As deforestation-free movement is emerging as a response to rapid loss of high value conservation forests globally and the services they provide, forest investors in Tanzania have been urged to opt for it for sustainable investments.
 
The Conservation Manager for WWF Tanzania Dr. Simon Lugandu called Forest investors to recognize deforestation as a risk and apply safeguards to ensure they are not funding activities that destroy or degrade forests. Otherwise the country will lose forest and without the trees, the ecosystem that supports the human population and animals can fall apart.
 
He emphasized: “It is important for investment to adhere to conservation principles. One of the ways to achieve this is to invest and use environmental friendly technologies .For instance in forest harvesting, consider using technologies that will not be destroying the forest itself which is also habitat for animals."
 
According to Mr Jasper Makala, Chief Executive Officer at Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative(MCDI) ,many investors are compelled to the traditional known species such as Dalbergia melanoxylon and  Pterocarpus angolensis .Such preference has led to heavy exploitation of these species contributing much to reducing their populations.
 
In our efforts to promote responsible forest management and deforestation free enterprises, with support from WWF we are working to develop market for lesser known timber species (LKTS).And, response towards some species like Julbernardia globiflora (mtondoro) has begun to be seen. Moving forward we are working to influence and educate buyers of the benefits of sourcing these alternative species," he noted.
 
Speaking at different times during the meeting, the investors expressed appreciation for being engaged and affirmed their willingness to invest in the Village forest reserves. They called for more support from Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) and specifically in relation to harvesting regulations and processes.
 
The Investors Forum took place in Kilwa District Council, Lindi Region on 9th November 2018. The forum focused on attracting investors and facilitating connections to unlock timber investment opportunities. The forum was supported by WWF through collaboration with MCDI.