Green Impact Investing -
Rainforests against climate change

By purchasing the cooperative share, you are not only achieving a financial return but an ecological one, too. And our VERRA certification also tells its own story: we satisfy the Verified Carbon Standard. This means that for each share, the forest will absorb an average of 1 t CO2 over the years. Perhaps you think your share will only achieve this many years from now, after the land has to be purchased, saplings planted, and the trees allowed to grow. In fact, your cooperative share makes you an owner of the entire forested area belonging to the cooperative. The cooperative principle means that everyone jointly owns the entire forest stock – mature trees and young ones. So, you are making an impact from Day 1. And all of us are delighted that you, through your commitment, are enhancing our positive impact on the climate even more over the long term. 
 

By purchasing the cooperative share, you are not only achieving a financial return but an ecological one, too. And our VERRA certification also tells its own story: we satisfy the Verified Carbon Standard. This means that for each share, the forest will absorb an average of 1 t CO₂ over the years. Perhaps you think your share will only achieve this many years from now, after the land has to be purchased, saplings planted, and the trees allowed to grow. In fact, your cooperative share makes you an owner of the entire forested area belonging to the cooperative. The cooperative principle means that everyone jointly owns the entire forest stock – mature trees and young ones. So, you are making an impact from Day 1. And all of us are delighted that you, through your commitment, are enhancing our positive impact on the climate even more over the long term.

Our aspiration: is to create Generation Forests that last forever. The concept produces long-term returns, in contrast to plantations, where the entire planting is usually harvested, and the resulting returns bring the investment term to an end. Since we are in the tropics, tree species comparable to oaks in Germany grow very fast. A tree is ready for harvest not after 60-100 years, but already after 25-45 years.
We are anticipating the first profit distributions to take place in 2046, i.e. 27 years following the initial afforestation. At future points, these precious trees will be fully grown, and the established ecosystem will be more stable, meaning that regular profit distributions may be anticipated over the long term. According to our model, after 40 years, a share should generate more profit distributions than today's investment of 1,563 euros, meaning the profit distributions that are cumulated over the years. The forests remain ecologically and economically productive. So it’s worthwhile staying involved for the long term.

Under the law of cooperatives, shares in a cooperative are treated differently from company stock. Their value can neither rise nor fall. Each cooperative share corresponds to 500 m² of permanent mixed forest, afforested with the money paid in on every share.

The most important factor in the increase in value is the growth of the trees. This growth, combined with other factors, determines future profits. The biological growth of the forest is measured regularly by our forestry manager.

An economic analysis of the tree stock and estate is performed by independent third parties annually. An independent expert verifies the growth data of our projects. The anticipated value appreciation corresponds to the ‘admission fee’ additionally payable by every member together with the purchase of the share.
 

An internal rate of return is applied to investments that produce irregular yields. The internal rate of return describes the (theoretical) average annual return. 

The internal rate of return refers here to the value appreciation of our forest, which automatically “gains” in value through its natural growth. However, this does not mean that we earn an annual profit. Instead it merely establishes our one-off admission fee of 4.5% per share, which increases from year to year. Once we generate yields from our harvesting and we have a positive balance sheet, foreseeably in 2046, these will then be paid out. 
 

The forecast increase in value appreciation of all our forests is reflected in the admission fee. This admission fee must be paid once on acquiring new shares or topping up existing ones. This is important and fair because future yields will be distributed among all members on an equally – regardless of when they joined the cooperative.

•    One cooperative share costs €1,200.
•    In 2025, there is an entrance fee of €433.
•    All in all, a new member pays €1,633.

Future profits from cooperative shares are essentially dependent on the future performance of timber prices. A range of factors are significant here:

•    Volume growth and shape of the trees
•    Timber price performance
•    Demand for (tropical) timber
•    Changes in forestry costs
•    Changes in cooperative’s costs in Germany

In making our profit forecasts, we ignore criteria such as inflation and increasing timber prices.
However, the demand for timber has significantly increased globally. That is causing timber prices to rise.
 

Join us today, and start immediately helping to make a change, even with smaller amounts from just €30 per month. We have a range of payment models available so you can purchase cooperative shares even with limited savings. You can pay for shares with a one-time payment or by instalments stretching over 1, 2 or 4 years. 
The best thing about it: even if the period is 4 years, you’ll be a member straight away. So, year by year CO₂ is reduced, jobs created, biodiversity enhanced and the quality of soil and water improved. And the longer you stay with us, the longer the whole endeavour will remain effective. 

In addition, with an installment purchase you secure the current share price and can spread the costs over a longer period of time. Similar to a savings installment, the share can thus be paid off continuously without the financing being associated with further costs. In the case of installment financing, the share will probably already have a higher value at the time of the last financing installment than at the time of subscription.

The currently assumed value appreciation is based on calculations and analyses, and on our forestry manager’s 25 years of experience. To achieve the most realistic growth forecasts possible, we only use prices and costs based on today's figures. We deliberately ignore speculative assumptions about potential price increases or inflation.

Nevertheless, these forecasts, measurements and practical experience empirical evidence are no guarantee of future value appreciation. Given the various economic, political, and most minor, ecological factors, it is not possible to ever rule out uncertainties and risks, which can even result in the total loss of the capital invested.

Our forestry partner has over 25 years of experience in tropical forestry. They report any emerging risks to us, and manage them on-site with great diligence and personal responsibility.

More information on the subject is available here. 

Another important aspect: Our forest is a non-cash asset meaning it is not affected by inflation.

It takes money to manage the cooperative, and perform forestry protection and afforestation activities. In contrast, to finance providers, our cooperative earns no money as an organization. We operate on a cost-covering basis. Our forestry service provider operates on a costs basis and receives a transparent payment per hectare per year. It receives a contractually agreed share of 3.75% of future timber returns. In this way, we can achieve a strong convergence of interests of the cooperative members and the forestry partner with complete transparency – a  new phenomenon in forestry investment.