Société Royale Forestière de Belgique

What Société Royale Forestière de Belgique does

Société Royale Forestière de Belgique (SRFB) is a non-profit forestry association founded in 1893 and headquartered in Brussels, with a secondary office in Gembloux, Wallonia. It serves private forest owners, forestry professionals, and the general public across Belgium (Wallonia, Brussels, and Flanders). Its core offerings span publications (the bilingual Silva Belgica bimonthly journal), a member-exclusive species knowledge database (Silvapedia), an online training library (eForOwn), a structured training cycle (ForêtFor), volunteer forest coaching, PEFC sustainable forest certification advisory, and a forest liability insurance product (RC Forêt). The association also operates a public-facing educational program (Forest Friends) and an e-commerce bookstore (Forest Shop).

SRFB's underlying technology is a knowledge-management and education platform: a multilingual website (FR/NL/DE/EN), a member portal, a multi-language publication delivery system, and curated content libraries covering species profiles, silvicultural techniques, and land management. The association is engaged in several European-funded research projects, including the €7.1M MigFoRest Interreg North-West Europe project (lead partner, 2024-2028) on assisted tree species migration, the MPeRN private nature reserve project (launched September 2023), and Trees for Future (2018), which monitors 204 experimental plots across Belgium.

SRFB generates revenue through tiered membership dues (€80/year for non-owners, €80 plus €2.50/ha for owner base, €53.5 plus €1.34/ha for the premium RC Forêt tier), Forest Shop e-commerce publication sales, PEFC certification advisory services, and European/multi-year restricted grants tied to specific research projects (MigFoRest, Trees for Future, Klimabomen). Pricing scales with hectares managed and includes family succession mechanics via the New Generation Pack. The association is member-owned and operates in close but independent coordination with NTF (Wallonia) and Landelijk Vlaanderen (Flanders).

Name

Société Royale Forestière de Belgique

Legal name

Société Royale Forestière de Belgique

Website

https://srfb.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Belgium's oldest forestry association (founded 1893), serving private forest owners, professionals, and the public through tiered membership, training, PEFC certification, RC Forêt insurance, publications, and European-funded climate research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Management Unit (FMU) Certification (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (AFAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ), Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH), Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE), Certification Gap Assessment & Readiness Consulting (AFAMALAE)

Keywords

• Forest management services
• Silviculture training
• PEFC certification
• Forest liability insurance
• Forestry publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SRFB collects annual membership fees at three tiers: a basic non-owner tier at €80/year, an owner base tier at €80 + €2.50/ha, and a premium owner tier at €53.5 + €1.34/ha with RC Forest insurance included. Members receive access to Silva Belgica, training discounts, reforestation subsidies, certification advice, and insurance.
2. Forest Shop (Bookstore): SRFB operates an e-commerce bookstore (Forest Shop) selling forestry books, guides, and reference materials. Products include titles such as 'The Forest Guide' (€37), 'Pruning Deciduous Trees Properly' (€25), 'Softwoods Volume 4' (€62), 'Hammering in Irregular Treatment' (€36), and other specialized forestry publications.
3. RC Forêt (Forest Liability Insurance): SRFB offers forest liability (RC Forêt) insurance products to members, bundled with the premium membership tier and also available as an add-on. The insurance covers members against third-party claims arising from forest management activities.
4. PEFC Certification Services: SRFB facilitates PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certification for members, providing cartography, audit support, and advisory services for sustainable forest management certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SRFB is a Belgian non-profit forestry association founded in 1893 that provides membership-based services to private forest owners and forestry professionals. Its offerings include tiered annual memberships, the Silva Belgica bimonthly journal, a Forest Shop bookstore, PEFC sustainable forest management certification advisory, RC Forêt forest liability insurance, training cycles (ForêtFor), volunteer forest coaching, online educational resources (eForOwn, Silvapedia), guided forest walks (Forest Friends), tree planting services, and applied research projects on climate-adapted species.

Product overview

Société Royale Forestière de Belgique (SRFB) is a forestry association founded in 1893 offering a diverse portfolio of services to forest owners and forestry professionals. The core offerings include publications (Silva Belgica bimonthly magazine, Forest Shop bookstore), educational programs (eForOwn online training platform, ForêtFor training cycle, Forest Coaches advisory service), and membership programs (Forest Friends community outreach). SRFB also provides certification services (PEFC), insurance (RC Forêt), and operates several European research projects including Trees for Future, MigFoRest on assisted migration, and MPeRN on nature reserves. Silvapedia serves as a member-exclusive knowledge database on tree species.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silva Belgica: SRFB's bimonthly reference journal on forestry, providing information on silviculture techniques and forest news
• Silva Mail
• Forest Friends
• Trees for Future
• MigFoRest
• MPeRN (Ma Parcelle en Réserve Naturelle)
• eForOwn
• ForêtFor
• Forest Shop
• Silvapedia

Products and services

• Silva Belgica Bimonthly forestry magazine and member benefit providing forest news, new silvicultural techniques, practical management topics, and scientific research contributions from forest science experts. Distributed to members as part of their subscription.
• Forest Shop E-commerce bookstore selling forestry books, guides, and reference publications such as 'The Forest Guide' (€37), 'Pruning Deciduous Trees Properly' (€25), and 'Softwoods Volume 4' (€62). Members receive a 10% discount on purchases.
• eForOwn Online educational resource library for forest owners and forestry teachers, providing downloadable PDFs, illustrated slideshows, and videos on sustainable forest management, including production potential, non-wood goods, forest maintenance, wood sales, and administrative procedures, organized by difficulty level.
• ForêtFor Training Cycle Structured training cycle for forest owners and managers covering practical applications of silvicultural science, offered with a 50% discount to members and 60% discount to non-owner members.
• PEFC Certification Service Certification advisory and support service helping Belgian private forest owners obtain and maintain PEFC sustainable forest management certification, including cartography, audit support, and compliance guidance.
• RC Forêt Forest Liability Insurance Forest liability insurance covering members against third-party property damage and personal injury claims arising from forest management activities. Bundled with the premium owner membership tier or available as an add-on for other members.
• Silvapedia Species Database Exclusive member knowledge database containing species profile cards with recognition criteria, ecological requirements, silvicultural management, wood technical properties, and utilization possibilities for tree species relevant to Belgian forestry.
• Personalized Forestry Training Customized forestry training services tailored to the specific needs of individual forest owners, covering practical silvicultural topics on demand.
• Plant a Tree Service Service for foresters with planting projects, companies supporting tree planting initiatives, and individuals planting for the future. Provides coordination, reforestation subsidies for members, and project support.
• Forest Coaches (Coachs Forestiers) Advisory service delivered through a network of volunteer experienced forest owners who share knowledge with new forest owners to help them understand forest management and the wood industry.
• Forest Friends Program Public education program connecting volunteer forest guides with the general public through guided forest walks, educational activities for children, teaching resources, and training for teachers and animators, as well as corporate team activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trees for Future research project monitors 204 experimental plots across Belgian forests, testing diverse tree species and provenances for climate resilience.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• MPeRN Project Partners (Agricultural Representatives, Environmental Associations, Universities)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023SRFB launched MPeRN in September 2023 in collaboration with agricultural and forestry representatives, environmental associations, and universities to create a structure facilitating strict protection status for private natural areas.
• NTF (Notion de Terroir Forestier)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRFB collaborates with NTF and Landelijk Vlaanderen on shared data processing infrastructure, joint privacy policies, and cross-promotion of member services. NTF focuses on defending rural private property rights in Wallonia, while SRFB serves Belgian forest owners.
• Landelijk Vlaanderen (LV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRFB, NTF, and Landelijk Vlaanderen share a joint privacy policy, joint contact infrastructure, and coordinate services for Belgian rural and forest landowners across Wallonia and Flanders.
• Office National des Forêts (ONF, France)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerONF (France) is one of 6 partners in the MigFoRest Interreg NWE project led by SRFB. ONF contributes to the deployment of assisted migration of tree species and provenances to increase forest resilience in Northwest Europe.
• NeoSylva (France)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeoSylva is a French partner in the MigFoRest Interreg NWE project, working alongside SRFB and five other partners to deploy assisted migration of tree species across Northwest Europe.
• FVA - Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFVA (Germany) is one of six partners in the MigFoRest project, contributing German forestry research expertise to the assisted migration initiative across Northwest Europe.
• CRA-W - Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques (Belgium)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRA-W serves as the Walloon partner for MigFoRest, responsible for establishing seed orchards (vergers à graines) to ensure qualitative and sustainable seed supply for foresters. Also coordinates flat maple (Acer platanoides) seed orchard creation with SRFB support.
• INBO - Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek (Belgium)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINBO is one of the three Belgian partners in the MigFoRest project, contributing to the evaluation of genetic diversity, invasive risk, and biodiversity potential of new species and provenances planted in Northwest Europe.
• CNPF - Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (France)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNPF (France) was a partner in the eForOwn European Leonardo project (2012-2014) alongside SRFB, developing online training resources for new forest owners. The collaboration established tools to improve knowledge and skills of forest managers.
• CTFC - Centre de Recherche Forestière de Catalogne (Spain)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTFC (Spain) partnered with SRFB and CNPF on the eForOwn Leonardo project, contributing to the needs assessment for new forest owner training and the development of distance learning tools.
• Haute École agronomique Condorcet (HEPHC, Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCondorcet joined the subsequent Erasmus+ project alongside SRFB, CNPF, CTFC, and Eduter, contributing agricultural school expertise to forest training programs.
• Eduter (AgroSup Dijon, France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEduter, part of France's Ministry of Agriculture, joined the eForOwn follow-on Erasmus+ project to further develop forest training resources.
• OWSF - Observatoire Wallon de la Santé des Forêts (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRFB works closely with OWSF to provide free forest health diagnostics to members. OWSF correspondent observers conduct site visits, health assessments, and plantation monitoring, with SRFB experts (e.g., Julie Losseau, Nicolas Dassonville) participating in volunteer calibration sessions.
• KU Leuven (Belgium)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRFB partnered with KU Leuven (Prof. Bart Muys) and Bosgroep Zuild Nederland on the Klimabomen (Climate Trees) project, funded by ANB (Flemish Nature and Forests Agency), to develop a list of adapted tree species and provenances for climate change adaptation in Flemish forests.
• Bosgroep Zuild Nederland (Netherlands)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRFB partnered with Bosgroep Zuild Nederland and KU Leuven on the Klimabomen project, contributing Dutch and German expert consultation to the functional traits-based tree species assessment.
• PlantC (Belgium)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlantC is recommended by SRFB as a partner for citizens and companies wishing to contribute to tree planting in Belgium. PlantC coordinates planting projects with local farmers and stakeholders for hedges, orchards, reforestation, agroforestry, and short-rotation coppice.
• ANB - Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos (Flemish Nature and Forests Agency, Belgium)majorOthersANB issued the Klimabomen project call and funded the SRFB-led consortium (with KU Leuven and Bosgroep) to assess climate-adapted tree species for Flemish forests.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• PEFC International / PEFC Belgium: Governing body of the PEFC sustainable forest certification standard that SRFB actively administers for Belgian forest owners. PEFC Belgium is a critical certification counterpart and partner in SRFB's regulatory-intermediation function rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Royal Forestry Society (UK): UK's oldest forestry association delivering membership, certification support, training, forestry journal, and tree-planting programmes to private forest owners and professionals in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (CNPF): France's national private forest-owner association. CNPF was SRFB's peer partner in the eForOwn European Leonardo project and operates a structurally identical membership, training, certification, and publication model for French private forest owners.
• Landelijk Vlaanderen: Flemish counterpart to NTF. Landelijk Vlaanderen coordinates rural landowner services with SRFB across Belgium's Flemish region, providing parallel membership, training, and advocacy services for rural property owners.
• Deutscher Forstverein (DFV): Germany's national forestry association. DFV offers membership, training, and policy advocacy for forest owners across Germany and is SRFB's natural structural counterpart in the largest German-speaking market.
• Schweizerischer Forstverein (SFV): Swiss national forestry association serving private and public forest owners with membership, education, certification, and publication services — a direct structural parallel in a smaller Alpine country.
• Bosgroep (Flemish/Dutch forestry cooperatives): Regional Flemish forestry cooperatives that deliver advisory, training, and project services to private forest owners in Flanders — a structurally similar albeit regionally distributed model to SRFB's Walloon operations.
• Stichting Probos: Dutch applied forestry research and advisory foundation providing forest-owner support, certification, and knowledge services — closely comparable in mission and customer base to SRFB and an existing Interreg collaborator context.
• Notion de Terroir Forestier (NTF): Belgian Walloon association for rural property owners. NTF shares joint data infrastructure, privacy policies, and cross-promotion arrangements with SRFB and serves a closely overlapping but broader rural-property constituency in Wallonia.

Broad incumbents

• American Forest Foundation: Larger US-based forest conservation organisation. American Forest Foundation operates at a national scale across a much larger and more diverse constituency, offering membership, conservation, and landowner engagement programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/PL5YVWKn5gAKP1ZPdMPjZrY0mxesMSSiqD
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61558659923117
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/migforest-interreg-project-9426412ba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Société Royale Forestière de Belgique