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ALPI and TFT Work Together to Enhance Sustainable Forest Management in Cameroon

Italian Timber Company commits itself to best practice in forest management in critical forest areas bordering a globally significant National Park

Modigliana, ITALY (24 September 2007)- ALPI, the largest forest and wood processing company operating in Cameroon, has agreed to enhance its forest management program in partnership with the Tropical Forest Trust.

ALPI has operated since 1919 and is renowned for its development of unique decorative wood veneer products. It has been active in tropical forest management since the late 1980s and has always had an acute awareness of its environmental responsibilities.   Incorporated in ALPI's internal philosophy is a commitment to operating in accordance with national and international norms and ensuring forest management activities exemplify global best practices.

"We know we have a great responsibility to ensure the forests we manage are there for the next generation; that the communities that depend on them for their livelihoods have access to them and that they can sustainably supply us with raw materials in perpetuity," said Vittorio Alpi, President of the ALPI Group. "We have today published our Environmental Policy Commitment and as part of that we're also announcing our partnership with TFT who will assist us to implement sustainable practices at our operations."

"ALPI is a serious company and with over 265,000 hectares of tropical forest under management, its actions can have a very positive influence at the local level but also on the national scene in Cameroon and more broadly throughout the Congo Basin," said Scott Poynton, TFT's Executive Director. "Two of its forest areas border the Lobeke National Park so its work to ensure that these forests are sustainably managed is a huge bonus to conservation. We're very pleased to be working with ALPI and we look forward to keeping people informed of progress."

ALPI and TFT have already started working together through their collaboration on the European Commission funded Timber Trade Action Plan (TTAP) Project. The TTAP project helps forest management and wood processing companies ensure that their operations comply with national laws. TTAP project staff visited ALPI's forest and factory operations during July 2007 and ALPI has already begun implementation of an Action Plan that will see them audited for full legal compliance.

 Full Press Release [PDF]

More information on ALPI is available at: http://www.alpi.it/