Latest News
posted on 13 Feb, 2012
GFA Awarded Contract for Largest FSC Certification Area in Germany
GFA Certification has been awarded the FSC Certification of the State Forestry and Timber Agency Rhineland-Palatinate. The 45 state forestry offices manage an estimated total of about 230.000 ha of mostly mixed forests. This will be the largest FSC certification area in Germany ever. The record so far was also held by GFA: 130,000 ha certified in late 2011 as commissioned by the State Forestry and Timber Agency in North Rhine-Westphalia. ... more
posted on 7 Feb, 2012
A Star is born
The birth of an okapi is a truly rare occasion. Shortly before last year, a male okapi calf was born at the Epulu captive breeding centre, DR Congo. By now, mother and calf have settled into a comfortable routine at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Metaphorically, GFA has assisted midwifing through its involvement in the Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Forest Management Program in and around the wildlife reserve. ... more
posted on 31 Jan, 2012
GFA at Green Week in Berlin
Each year, the Green Week in Berlin attracts half a million visitors to the food and agriculture fair. Since 1994, GFA has been involved in co-preparing the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture as the fair’s opening event. This year, GFA together with the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (oa) and the BMELV, organized a panel discussion on “Agricultural development through sustainable resource management” for experts.... more
posted on 23 Jan, 2012
Win-win Cooperation of GFA and BSHD on Certification Know-how
Certification of sustainable forest management has become a marketing tool for the Association of the German Sawmill and Wood Industry (BSHD). But FSC and PEFC as the leading certification systems become ever more complex. BSHD and GFA Certification have therefore initiated a cooperation agreement that aims at updating the associated members on FSC, PEFC etc. BSHD sees this cooperation as „a real win-win situation for GFA, BSHD and associated enterprises.“... more
posted on 9 Jan, 2012
GFA Water Newsletter January, 2012: Baseline Studies
GFA has gained substantial experience in providing consulting services in the field of pro-poor service provision, financing and regulation in the water sector. Expert teams have conducted national baseline and socio-economic surveys for different donor organizations.... more
posted on 23 Dec, 2011
GFA Newsletter December, 2011: Food Security - A Much-Needed Renaissance
Three decades ago, the ‘A’ in GFA stood for agriculture. Today, food security once again is a question of political and economic surviva. The main article highlights GFA’s global experience in agriculture and rural development, natural resource management, irrigation and climate change as an ideal foundation for integrated food security projects. ... more
posted on 1 Dec, 2011
Teak Plantation in Panama
GFA´s Forest Investment Unit supported a German institutional investor in the acquisition of a teak plantation in Panama. Through active deal sourcing in the region, GFA identified the plantation as attractive investment opportunity in line with client-specific targets. The project represents a double-digit million Euro investment. GFA provides extensive consultancy and management services regarding all aspects of forest investments.
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posted on 16 Nov, 2011
GFA Hosts MCA Workshop
GFA Consulting Group recently hosted a workshop on financial services to the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) at its headquarters in Hamburg. The workshop not only addressed crucial operational MCA issues but also fostered networking among members of the worldwide ‘family’ of GFA-assisted MCC projects. MCA is a US government fund for global development managed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).... more
posted on 7 Nov, 2011
C³ TRAINER Courses Enhance In-house Training Skills
In May and October 2011, GFA hosted two more C³ TRAINER courses in Hamburg. The training courses on training and moderation techniques aim at introducing the C³ training method, its principles and manuals to new GFA staff or other experts in GFA’s worldwide network of professionals. ... more
posted on 3 Nov, 2011
FSC Group Certificate for GD Holz
The German Timber Trade Federation (GD Holz) has been granted a FSC Chain of Custody group certificate. During the annual Timber Trade Fair in Cologne (Branchentag Holz), the certificate was officially handed over to 15 GD Holz members by GFA Consulting Group, the market leader in Germany among FSC certification bodies. GD Holz is very interested in group certification so that the group of certified members will grow in due time.... more
