Frequently asked questions about Better Globe
Our aim with Better Globe is to be a transparent company. On this page, we have gathered some of the most common questions that stakeholders have had before they became our clients or customers.
If the question that your have is not answered below, please contact us.
- What if my donated tree is attacked by pests or burns up?
- How does the harvest of the trees come from?
- How can you guarantee the harvest?
- What happens if there is extreme drought or crop failure one year?
- Africa is politically unstable. What happens if there is a change of power?
- Is Better Globe a charitable organization?
- Does money for schools and microcredit activities really make a difference?
- Does Better Globe make money on the poor in Africa?
- What happens if the price of timber falls?
- In which countries is Better Globe in business?
- How do I know that Better Globe will do what you say you will do?
- Who are the people behind Better Globe?
- What do you think about the problems with “land grabbing”?
What if my tree is attacked by pests or burns up?
We write on most pages that once you have adopted and therefore “own” a Better Globe tree you then have a right to it for 20 years. This means that you actually “own” a tree but not a specific tree. Had there been a definite physical tree, the risk of the individual tree owner would have been too big. However, our trees are of a special kind, namely Mukau, which we are very experienced in growing with great predictability and it is creating a positive harvest.
When Better Globe plants many of these trees, you “own” one of them. Eventually, Better Globe will always plant more trees than those owned by our adoptees—at least two trees per adopted tree. You need not worry if your individual trees are attacked by insects, fire, or die in some other way. Similarly, since we have plantations in several different areas, this reduces the risk of fire and other local influences.
Where does the harvest from the trees come from?
It simply comes from our business. We sell fruits, nuts, gum, timber and other products that are harvested from our plantations. We also deal with seeds of various trees, and we will soon run nurseries and sawmills and more. Our business has many sources of revenue. For example, when your adopted tree is felled after 20 years to make way for a new tree, it is sold for more than 10 times the adopting price.
How can you guarantee the harvest?
Better Globe cannot guarantee any fixed harvest. We calculate an expected harvest, which is based on what we know about the cost of labor and machinery and other forms of overhead and also what we know about the price of trees and other things that we sell today.
As with any other activities, you can project expected growth, which we have done. What we do not have in our calculation however is any foreseen price increase in timber from its level today. We have, therefore, been extremely cautious and made moderate calculations in declaring what we intend to give back to those who donate the trees.
What happens if there is extreme drought or crop failure one year?
Our climate and terrain remain relatively constant. We are good at what we do, and we are experienced through a number of years of development. Naturally, anything can happen in the forest industry, but we believe we are very well prepared. In addition, we have plantations in several different places, just to be able to isolate different types of disruptions that may occur.
Africa is politically unstable. What happens if there is a change of power?
We are establishing ourselves in regions that are politically stable, but, of course, anything can happen in theory. Some countries in Africa are more unstable than some other countries in the world, but we are establishing ourselves in countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, where stability is good and has been so over long time. More and more countries in Africa are moving in that direction now, and we hope to contribute with a positive impact on this development.
Is Better Globe a charitable organization?
No, it is not based on the concept of “charity.” We do well in our work and perhaps resemble a charity, but we are not. We believe in operational forces and that people will do their best to lift themselves out of any predicament given the opportunity. That is why Better Globe is creating jobs for them instead of let them live on charity.
Does money for schools and microcredit activities really make a difference?
Yes, it really makes a big difference. When many people work for a common cause, it helps a lot, and in a case such as micro financing, the money is recirculated so that new people can be helped as older borrowers repay their loans. 0.50 euro in the context of building schools is sufficient for many schools if enough people add 0.50 euro each month.
Consistent and sustained contributions from many people make the difference, not the actual amounts. That is the reason why we focus so much to create an economic upside for the tree adopters as our stakeholders. If there is an economic upside, it becomes obvious to contribute in the long-term, rather than giving a one-off charity at a charity gala. Long-term commitment is the key to real change.
Does Better Globe make money on the poor in Africa?
No, absolutely not! Better Globe earns money on the management of forestry products. We give full-time work to the poor and help them all that we can to sustain their farms. They are able to work on a salary, have good health, good employment, and receive an education by working with us. They are also able to get loans and water and have their children in school. It is a win-win-win concept, and we make absolutely no money on “the poor in Africa”, it is in fact the total opposite, they make money from us.
What happens if the price of timber falls?
Better Globe will earn less money, and this may lead us to revise our estimates. We do so, of course, regularly in any case. Even if prices do fall, however, it will not affect the agreements already made regarding the trees. Owners of trees will get their agreed harvest, even if we have to change the yield for those adopting new trees.
We think it is quite unlikely that the price of trees will fall, since the imbalance between supply and demand on the earth’s resources of trees is very high today. We believe there will always be a shortage of timber, given how much we have destroyed forests in the last 50 years and probably will the next 50 years too.
In which countries is Better Globe in business?
We currently have plantations in a 3 places in Kenya, and Child Africa conducts its operations in Uganda and Kenya. People who adopt, donate or sponsor trees live in over 60 countries worldwide.
How do I know that Better Globe will do what you say you will do?
You do not know, but we arrange customer trips to Africa at least once a year, and we have done so since 2008. On each such trip, many of our customers will have a wonderful journey and an experience to remember—many do it just to see for themselves what we do and how we do it. We try to be as informative and transparent as we possibly can. We regularly send out newsletters to customers, and we publish a full color African forestry magazine called MITI, which provides open information about what we do.
Who are the people behind Better Globe?
Better Globe is privately owned, and Rino Solberg, who is an experienced international industrialist, is the initiator, Chairman of the board, and hardworking majority owner. A number of other different owners are also involved in the group—either in the marketing company or participating in Better Globe Forestry or Child in Africa.
The owners and directors are presented on the website of each company.
What do you think about the problems with “land grabbing”?
This is a huge problem worldwide, and it affects poor countries and poor individuals. Most forestry companies are after land where people can grow food because it is rain there. We are totally against such development, because food production will be the biggest challenge in the years to come. Better Globe however, is only planting trees in ASAL (arid and semi arid land) where there is nothing growing from before and development is welcome.
Many multinational corporations work with poor governments that sell out their people. This is just one more reason why it is so important that we make our project work and need your help. Without us, sooner or later someone will take land from these people instead of someone like us—who do not just buy their land—but give them jobs, schools, water, build communities and many other things.
FAQs