Transparency builds trust
For us, trust comes first! That is why we would like to transparently disclose all information and figures related to The Generation Forest.

How much land does our cooperative own in Panama?
Plots of land are owned by our cooperative
Hectares of land are owned by our cooperative
Hectare of afforested area
How does the difference between reforested area and area under ownership come about?
Our long-term goal is to reforest contiguous areas in order to provide the maximum possible protection and the largest possible interconnected habitat for flora and fauna. To this end, it makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to buy adjoining areas when they are offered for sale simultaneously. As a result of Covid-19, land prices in Panama have fallen sharply at present. So it may be that we first buy more land and then gradually reforest it.
How do our concrete plans look for this year (2023)?
We want to significantly increase our pace again this year. So far, 791 hectares have been reforested, and together with our community, we also want to plant the majority of our most recently acquired land this year.
Our long-term goal is to reforest contiguous areas in order to provide the best protection and most contiguous habitat possible for flora and fauna. To this end, it makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase adjacent areas when they are offered for sale at the same time. Due to Covid-19, land prices in Panama have dropped significantly at the moment. Thus, it can happen that we first buy more land in order to reforest it step by step.
What percentage of the land has been afforested so far?
Afforested 750 ha
This corresponds to 36 %
Protected forests 270 ha
This corresponds to 13 %
Water bodies and infrastructure 114 ha
This corresponds to 4 %
Area growth in progress 956 ha
This corresponds to 47 %
Certified and measurable impact for our climate
We are particularly excited about the positive outcome of our certification process with VERRA, a leading global organisation that develops and manages standards to achieve ambitious sustainable development and climate change goals. We don't want to just talk about what we can achieve. On the contrary, we want our projects to have a demonstrable impact. For this reason, we have had ourselves certified according to two standards: In addition to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), we were assessed under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) in terms of our impact on climate, biodiversity and work with local communities. Initial results show: Each cooperative share stores on average at least one tonne of CO₂ per year.


An extremely important element of our concept is the successful certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. This is considered one of the highest sustainability standards in forestry and enables us to market our timber in a certified manner in the future.
We want to create awareness that sustainable forestry preserves forests, thus making an essential contribution to a healthy environment and at the same time creating fair employment.

How much money goes into managing our forests?
Our economic planning is projected for 100 years, so the financial expenses for managing our forests may differ depending on the state of reforestation. Particularly at the beginning of forestation, for instance, more costs are incurred than in the following years. What is more, the larger the total area under management, the cheaper it is to manage a single hectar forest.
This means that the capital invested for our members is distributed over many years in different proportions. That said, however, the planning results in a percentage distribution for each cost centre, which we can apply in equivalent form to a share price. This makes it clear how much money flows into which area.

How does our cooperative operate and function?
We at The Generation Forest eG are the owners of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Waldmenschen S.A., in Panama. This makes it easier for us to conduct business transactions, like land purchases, payments, certifications, etc. Waldmenschen S.A. owns the land directly. The outlay for purchasing land and managing the forestry projects are paid for through their account. Furthermore, it offers the advantage that we can employ our own people in Panama and purchase vehicles and equipment.
Our forest partners
Our partner Futuro Forestal is responsible for the operational work on the ground. The company was founded in 1994 by the Panamanian forest engineer Iliana Armién and the Hamburg geographer Andreas Eke. Both developed and tested the concept of the generational forest in cooperation with important actors such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme and indigenous communities, on which our cooperative forests also thrive.

How many jobs do the projects in our cooperative create?
Workers are hired to perform forestry work and work in the tree nursery through our forestry partner. Two types of employment contract exist here: permanent and temporary contracts (3 or 10 month). Most of the temporary workers are hired for the planting season and afterwards some of them are kept on to perform maintenance and other activities. From May 2022, we hired 53 new employees for the cooperative's reforestation activities. A total of 87 staff are employed via the cooperative, including administrative and forestry staff.
More information about our social impactDocument Library
Transparency is one of our fundamental values. In our library you will find all documents, such as financial statements, contracts and ownership certificates. If you don't find the document you are looking for, please contact us through your mailbox or at info(at)thegenerationforest.com. We will shortly get back to you and send you everything you need.
External Audits
- Certificate – FSC-Prüfung (ESP)
- External Forestry Audit – La Reina 2018 (ENG)
- External Verification Growth Monitoring – La Reina 2018 (ENG)
- Evaluation of land prices - Example of Colon - Finca "La Conexion”
- Evaluation of land prices - Example of Darién - Finca "La Reina”
- Verra Verification Report 2016-2021
Studies commissioned by the cooperative
- Name, registered office, address and year established
- Complete articles of cooperation and details of the organisation's objectives
Articles - Name and function of decision-makers
- Activity Report
- Personnel Structure
- Information about the source of funds
- Information about the use of funds
- Corporate affiliations with third organisations
- Names of individuals whose annual payments exceed 10% of the total annual budget
Name:
The Generation Forest eG
Registered office:
Register of cooperatives: GnR 1083
Register court: Hamburg
Address:
The Generation Forest eG
Große Elbstraße 145a
22767 Hamburg
Germany
Contact person:
Charline Joost
Große Elbstraße 145a
22767 Hamburg
Germany
cjoost(at)thegenerationforest.com
Year established:
Established in 2016 as Waldmenschen eG
Articles of Association:
Our cooperative's articles of cooperation can be viewed here
Ordinary members:
This list contains the ordinary members of the cooperative.
Management:
Board of Directors – Dr. Mathias Hein, Iliana Armién, Andreas Eke Chairperson – Andreas Eke
Supervisory Board – Hans-Joachim Bellmann, Verena Sandra Le Gall, Axel Kleinefenn, André Marius Le Prince
Chairperson – André Marius Le Prince
Cooperative Managers – Oliver Jacobs, Charline Joost
Tax auditor:
Prüfungsverband der Deutschen Verkehrs-, Dienstleistungs- und Konsumgenossenschaften e.V.
Gotenstraße 17
20097 Hamburg
Germany
This presentation provides you with information about the activities undertaken by the cooperative:
Reforestation Work
Board report on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting in August 2021
Permanent employees: 12
Board members: 3
Honorary members of the Supervisory Board: 4
Detailed information on this can be found in our annual financial statements 2021.
Detailed information on this can be found in our annual financial statements 2021.
The Generation Forest eG holds 100% of the shares in its subsidiary, Waldmenschen SA, in Panama.
Waldmenschen SA conducts all forestry activities on behalf of The Generation Forest eG.
There is no single member whose shares account for more than 10% of the total annual income. Therefore no names can be listed here.
1. Name, registered office, address and year established
Name:
The Generation Forest eG
Registered office:
Register of cooperatives: GnR 1083
Register court: Hamburg
Address:
The Generation Forest eG
Große Elbstraße 145a
22767 Hamburg
Germany
Contact person:
Charline Joost
Große Elbstraße 145a
22767 Hamburg
Germany
cjoost(at)thegenerationforest.com
Year established:
Established in 2016 as Waldmenschen eG
2. Complete articles of cooperation and details of the organisation's objectives Articles
Articles of Association:
Our cooperative's articles of cooperation can be viewed here
3. Name and function of decision-makers
Ordinary members:
This list contains the ordinary members of the cooperative.
Management:
Board of Directors – Dr. Mathias Hein, Iliana Armién, Andreas Eke Chairperson – Andreas Eke
Supervisory Board – Hans-Joachim Bellmann, Verena Sandra Le Gall, Axel Kleinefenn, André Marius Le Prince
Chairperson – André Marius Le Prince
Cooperative Managers – Oliver Jacobs, Charline Joost
Tax auditor:
Prüfungsverband der Deutschen Verkehrs-, Dienstleistungs- und Konsumgenossenschaften e.V.
Gotenstraße 17
20097 Hamburg
Germany
4. Activity Report
This presentation provides you with information about the activities undertaken by the cooperative:
Reforestation Work
Board report on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting in August 2021
5. Personnel Structure
Permanent employees: 12
Board members: 3
Honorary members of the Supervisory Board: 4
6. Information about the source of funds
Detailed information on this can be found in our annual financial statements 2021.
7. Information about the use of funds
Detailed information on this can be found in our annual financial statements 2021.
8. Corporate affiliations with third organisations
The Generation Forest eG holds 100% of the shares in its subsidiary, Waldmenschen SA, in Panama.
Waldmenschen SA conducts all forestry activities on behalf of The Generation Forest eG.
9. Names of individuals whose annual payments exceed 10% of the total annual budget
There is no single member whose shares account for more than 10% of the total annual income. Therefore no names can be listed here.