The information was provided by the managing partner of the Angola Particle Board Group (APB), Carlos Padre, on the sidelines of the International Conference on Renewable Energies and Clean Development Mechanisms, promoted by the Angolan company Eco-Eficiência, specialized in environmental consultancy.
Carlos Padre stressed that the objective of the project is to provide a solution for the recovery, reforestation and development of the Angolan agro-forestry sector, stressing that, like other countries in the world, Angola has also suffered environmental degradation due to population growth and increased hunting, mining and industrial activities.
According to the businessman, the factory of exotic forest seedlings, namely eucalyptus and fruit trees, and later native seedlings, is a first step towards being able to create plants through seed and cloning techniques, and in a second phase for reforestation.
"We've had the idea for more than five years now, we're in a very hard fight", stressed Carlos Padre, highlighting the difficulties surrounding funding for the project, due to the need to present guarantees.
"We found, for example, (...) difficulties in being able to legalize, have the full registration of properties with the conservatories, because the banks, in order to finance, require guarantees", explained.
Carlos Padre called for greater sensitivity on the part of the international community and governments to support initiatives of this kind.
"With our project we are trying to do something that could change the picture, because we know that we have serious problems in terms of climate change, mainly in southern Angola. The causes have been identified, what we need is to tackle the problems", he added.
For the businessman, this forum is a good initiative, but "it comes very late", pointing to the example of Brazil, which for more than 15 years has been addressing issues of environmental protection.
"There, fortunately, many actions have already been taken, for example, on this issue of carbon credits, many companies benefit from carbon credits and we haven't even gotten there yet", he said.
The factory covers an area of 5,843 hectares and is located in the Capanda Agro-industrial Pole, an investment of over 6 million dollars, including the plantation.
"This year, we are in a position to start manufacturing seedlings and that always depends on funding. This country will only develop when there is a vein of funding that mainly serves the actors who are on the ground, who are doing their best to change the current situation of our economy", he underlined.
The project is financed by the Angolan Development Bank (BDA), in a first phase, and "has some sensitivity on the part of the United Nations organizations", especially to finance the plantation, the official said.
