Better Globe Forestry

What Better Globe Forestry does

Better Globe Forestry Ltd (BGF) is a Kenyan-incorporated commercial forestry company founded in 2004 that develops and manages dryland afforestation projects across East Africa, primarily in Kenya and Uganda with expansion into Tanzania underway. Its core technology is silviculture optimized for arid and semi-arid conditions, centered on Melia volkensii (mukau) in Kenya and Melia azedarach in Uganda, supplemented by gum Arabic production from Acacia senegal. BGF has accumulated more than 20 years of expertise in dryland species selection, nursery management, and plantation establishment, with research partnerships supporting tissue culture, bio-pesticide development, and field trials. The company operates a 21,500-hectare lease at Nyongoro (Lamu County), established plantations at Kiambere since 2007, runs nursery operations in Dokolo, Uganda, and engages over 20,000 smallholder farmers in the Seven Forks region and Dokolo for agroforestry integration with microfinance support via K-Rep Fedha.

BGF's product portfolio spans Commercial Forestry Development, Carbon Credit Programs, Agroforestry and Farmer Engagement, Forestry Training, Capacity Building, Gum/Carbon Projects, and Tailor-Made Forestry Projects, alongside the regional quarterly publication Miti Magazine. Revenue mechanics are diversified across custom project fees (site analysis, species selection, design, implementation, and ongoing MRV), professional services for carbon project development, transaction fees on farmer agroforestry output, and modest recurring subscriptions from Miti Magazine ($26 digital, $29 digital and print). As of January 2025, BGF operates as a fully independent commercial company after the 2024 transfer of the approximately 3 million planted trees from its former Norwegian affiliate Better Globe AS to the Swedish company Tree Partner Solutions (TPS); BGF now acts as TPS's implementation partner for existing and new planting under a 2025 service agreement. The Better Globe Forestry Foundation (BGFF), restructured in 2025 to operate at arm's length, complements commercial operations with CSR, donor, and community programming.

Name

Better Globe Forestry

Legal name

Better Globe Forestry Ltd

Website

https://betterglobeforestry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Better Globe Forestry Ltd is a Kenyan commercial forestry company that develops and manages dryland afforestation plantations and agroforestry programs using Melia volkensii and Melia azedarach, serving corporate carbon/timber clients, governments, NGOs, and over 20,000 smallholder farmers across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Forestry Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (113110), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland & Forest Asset Management (IMAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ), Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD)

Keywords

• Commercial forestry services
• Dryland afforestation solutions
• Agroforestry development programs
• Carbon sequestration projects
• Timber plantation management

Headquarters

HQ city

Kileleshwa

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial Forestry Development: BGF develops and manages commercial forestry plantations for sustainable wood production. Revenue is generated through timber sales from mature plantations, with rotation times of approximately 20 years for Melia species producing logs over 40cm diameter for sawmilling.
2. Carbon Credit Programs: BGF implements large-scale afforestation and reforestation projects for clients who seek carbon sequestration benefits. While BGF does not sell carbon credits directly, they work with organizations developing forestry projects aligned with carbon offset strategies, earning fees for project development and management services.
3. Agroforestry and Farmer Engagement: BGF partners with over 20,000 farmers in Kenya and Uganda, providing trees, training, and microfinance support. Revenue is generated through the sale of timber and forest products from agroforestry systems, while also facilitating farmer income from tree ownership.
4. Tailor-Made Forestry Projects: BGF crafts unique forestry solutions for clients with specific environmental, social, or commercial objectives including reforestation, carbon sequestration, agroforestry, or biodiversity restoration. Custom project fees are charged for site analysis, species selection, project design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring and reporting.
5. Miti Magazine Subscriptions: BGF publishes Miti Magazine, a high-quality quarterly publication on forestry in East Africa since 2009. Revenue is generated through digital and print subscriptions ($26 digital, $29 digital and printed).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Better Globe Forestry develops and manages commercial forestry plantations and agroforestry programs in East African drylands, specializing in Melia volkensii and Melia azedarach species. The company delivers sustainable timber production, carbon sequestration projects, farmer engagement with over 20,000 smallholders, tailor-made forestry solutions for corporate and government clients, and publishes Miti Magazine, a quarterly forestry periodical.

Product overview

Better Globe Forestry offers a portfolio of interconnected forestry services centered on dryland commercial forestry and agroforestry. The core offerings include Commercial Forestry Development for large-scale timber production, Carbon Credit Programs for carbon sequestration, Agroforestry and Farmer Engagement programs with thousands of smallholder farmers, and Tailor-Made Forestry Projects for custom client solutions. Supporting services include Forestry Training, Capacity Building programs, and Gum/Carbon Projects combining gum production with carbon credits. The company also publishes Miti Magazine, a quarterly forestry publication serving East Africa since 2009. Together, these services form an integrated approach to sustainable dryland forestry combining environmental restoration, community empowerment, and commercial timber production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miti Magazine: A high-quality quarterly publication on forestry in East Africa, providing specialist information since 2009. Published across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Products and services

• Commercial Forestry Development Development and management of commercial forestry plantations for sustainable wood production while restoring degraded land, using scientifically backed silvicultural practices optimized for high-value timber (logs over 40cm diameter for sawmilling).
• Carbon Credit Programs Large-scale afforestation and reforestation projects contributing to carbon sequestration for organizations seeking forestry projects aligned with carbon offset strategies.
• Agroforestry and Farmer Engagement Promotes agroforestry with over 20,000 partner farmers in Kenya and Uganda, providing trees, training, and microfinance support to integrate forestry with agriculture and improve farmer livelihoods.
• Forestry Training Expert forestry training services for companies, NGOs, and governments covering afforestation, land restoration, plantation management, and agroforestry solutions.
• Capacity Building Knowledge-sharing and skills development programs for farmers, forestry professionals, and organizations covering silviculture, carbon sequestration, agroforestry, and sustainable land management.
• Gum/Carbon Projects Integrates economic opportunity with environmental restoration using native gum-bearing trees (Acacia senegal) that produce premium natural gum and certified carbon credits, transforming drylands into productive landscapes.
• Tailor-Made Forestry Projects Custom forestry solutions designed for clients with specific environmental, social, or commercial objectives including reforestation, carbon sequestration, agroforestry, or biodiversity restoration with tailored site analysis, species selection, project design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.
• Miti Magazine High-quality quarterly publication on forestry in East Africa providing specialist information, available as digital and printed subscription plans starting from $26.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 million trees planted and maintained since 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Better Globe Forestry Foundation (BGFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe non-profit arm of Better Globe Forestry, created to champion inclusive and sustainable development through forestry. Established to complement BGF's commercial operations, the Foundation enables partnerships with donors, development agencies, CSR sponsors, and philanthropic organizations. Restructured in 2025 to operate independently at arm's length, supporting BGF's CSR and community efforts.
• CIFOR-ICRAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF partners with CIFOR-ICRAF on research and innovation in agroforestry and climate-smart forestry. The collaboration includes active support for Miti magazine.
• Ghent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder an MOU, BGF partners with Ghent University on applied research in dryland forestry. The collaboration includes field trials on Melia volkensii, ecosystem restoration studies in ASAL areas, and graduate-level internships to build capacity and inform practice.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA has a long-standing tradition of support to dryland forestry in Kenya and is a natural partner for BGF. The collaboration includes drafting Melia volkensii guidelines, exchanging experiences, and mutual technical support.
• Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF and KEFRI have an MOU to jointly conduct research on indigenous species, pest and disease management, and carbon monitoring. KEFRI provides scientific support to ensure BGF's forestry work is grounded in robust ecological knowledge.
• Kenya Forest Service (KFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF's MOU with KFS facilitates regulatory compliance, technical cooperation, and support for reforestation on public lands. Together, they align private afforestation efforts with Kenya's national forest restoration goals.
• KenGen FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Green Initiative Challenge (GIC), BGF supports KenGen Foundation's mission to promote environmental stewardship among schoolchildren. BGF supplies seedlings, technical guidance, and field monitoring to help schools create and sustain green spaces.
• K-Rep Fedha Services LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis partnership supports the financial and social integration of farmers into BGF's agroforestry programs. K-Rep Fedha Services facilitates microcredit access and community mobilization, enhancing rural livelihoods in dryland areas.
• Network on Forest Enterprises in Africa (NEFEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly the Gum and Resin Association (GARA), NEFEA partners with BGF to enhance gum Arabic production from Acacia senegal. BGF is at the forefront of gum garden establishment and yield improvement in East Africa.
• Tree Partner Solutions (TPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPS is BGF's principal tree planting partner and investor. TPS owns the over 3 million trees planted and maintained by BGF and provides digital tools for monitoring and reporting. Together, they develop scalable afforestation models with carbon and social impact. Ownership transfer from Better Globe AS completed in 2024.
• Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF works with TARDA to coordinate forestry and land use planning in the Tana Basin. The partnership emphasizes access to land and integration of tree planting in catchment management for climate resilience.
• University of EldoretminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn MOU between BGF and the University of Eldoret supports joint research, curriculum development, and field training in dryland forestry. The university provides students to strengthen BGF's implementation capacity.
• Uganda Timber Growers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF collaborates with UTGA to promote sustainable commercial forestry in Uganda. The partnership supports best practices in plantation management and timber value chains through active support for Miti magazine.
• Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF is a valued member of FSK, actively participating in its annual meetings and representing the private sector in the organization that reflects the Kenyan forestry world.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGF is in the process of certifying its operations in Kenya with FSC, aligning with international standards of responsible forestry practices to enhance credibility and access to export markets.
• Witu-Nyongoro Ranch Directed Agricultural Company Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs owners of the Nyongoro ranch, this company partners with BGF by providing land and community access for large-scale afforestation. Their collaboration enables smooth implementation while fostering local engagement and benefit-sharing.
• Yele Ikom Can Farmers Association (YICAFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYICAFA is BGF's field partner in Dokolo, Uganda, implementing a large-scale agroforestry project on behalf of TPS. The partnership focuses on youth employment, sustainable land use, and community mobilization in afforestation.
• Child AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with the Better Globe Forestry Foundation, Child Africa integrates tree planting and environmental education into school programs in Uganda. This collaboration fosters sustainability awareness among children and supports community development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GreenWood Resources: GreenWood Resources is a US-based timberland investment and asset management firm specializing in commercial forestry, including international plantation assets. Its function as a manager-investor for sustainable timber plantations aligns with the TPS/Better Globe AS relationship to BGF, though at materially larger scale.
• South Pole Group: South Pole is a large Swiss-based climate-solutions provider that develops and sells verified carbon credits, including nature-based forestry projects globally. It is a broader incumbent competing for the same corporate carbon-offset buyers that BGF targets, but with a much wider portfolio spanning energy, agriculture, and forestry.
• New Forests: New Forests is a Sydney-based global timberland and environmental-asset investment manager with a multi-billion-dollar portfolio across Australia, Southeast Asia, the US, and Africa. It is a broader incumbent that invests in and manages forestry assets at scale, comparable in function to the role Better Globe AS / TPS play alongside BGF's operating model.

Others

• Carbon Growth Partners: Carbon Growth Partners develops and invests in high-integrity nature-based carbon projects across Africa and globally, including ARR and IFM-style forestry assets. It is an adjacent project-development peer relevant to BGF's carbon-credit programs.
• Climate Asset Management: Climate Asset Management (a HSBC/Pollination venture) invests in natural climate solutions including nature-based carbon, with a growing Africa focus. It is an adjacent capital-allocation peer rather than direct competitor, but increasingly relevant as a buyer/partner for forest carbon assets BGF develops.

Direct peers

• Vi Agroforestry: Vi Agroforestry is a Swedish development organization (formerly Vi-skogen) operating farmer-led agroforestry and land restoration programs in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and other East African countries. Its mission, geographic footprint, and smallholder farmer engagement model closely mirror BGF's agroforestry pillar.
• Miro Forestry: Miro Forestry develops and manages commercial timber plantations in West and Southern Africa (Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mozambique), with a similar vertically integrated model of smallholder outgrowers, plantation management, and sustainable timber sales to international markets — directly comparable to BGF's commercial forestry operations.
• Forest Finance: Forest Finance is a German-based manager of forestry investment funds that acquires and operates commercial plantations in Latin America and other developing regions, offering retail and institutional investors managed forest assets. It is structurally comparable to BGF's TPS-era commercial plantation model and to Better Globe AS's earlier tree-ownership intermediation.
• Permian Global: Permian Global is a UK-based specialist in nature-based carbon projects, including forest carbon in East Africa. It is directly comparable to BGF's Carbon Credit Programs and FSC-aligned afforestation work, with overlapping customer base of corporate carbon-offset buyers.
• African Plantations for Sustainable Development (APSD): APSD is an East-Africa-focused commercial forestry and timber company developing eucalyptus and other plantations with smallholder farmer schemes. It directly competes with BGF for agroforestry farmer relationships, plantation land leases, and timber market access in East Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BetterglobeF
• Facebookfacebook.com/100057269177470
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-globe-forestry

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Better Globe Forestry