Consultancy to Timber Value Chain Project of GFI Foundation

Fairventures Worldwide Germany (FVW) and Good Forest Indonesia (GFI) have been cultivating fast-growing trees of the Sengon variety (Paraserianthes falcataria) as well as various other trees and agroforestry products for many years.
The main goal of their projects is to encourage local smallholder farmers to keep their own land and to generate greater value from it by cultivating various crops, rather than selling the land to a palm oil concession or leasing it out.
Millions of trees have already been planted over the past years. At some locations, the trees grow well to very well, while at others the growth is less successful. Some farmers manage their small plantations better than others, and there are also issues with pests, improper care, drought, etc.
You can find more details on the websites of FVW and GFI.

As a direct consequence of planting so many trees, FVW and GFI also had to consider how and at what price these smallholder farmers could eventually sell their timber once it has grown large enough and reached harvest maturity.

This is where the Eco Hapakat Foundation comes in. Our experts in the timber industry developed ideas for new products. Some of these products are already known and in use, although often with other types of wood rather than lightwood. Other products we have developed entirely from scratch. There are no existing markets for these new products yet.

But before we can begin with market research and marketing, we first need to understand what these new products can be used for and what kinds of loads they can withstand.

For this reason, we work closely with Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta and other universities in Indonesia that have suitable laboratories. In Indonesia, research in the field of wood and timber construction is still in its infancy. The number of professors and institutes wanting to engage in timber construction is still very modest—and the existing preliminary knowledge is often even more limited!

We also encounter significant skepticism toward wood as a building material. This includes not only construction professionals and researchers but also government agencies, architects, planners, and the general public, who could potentially use wood as a construction material.

In 2023, we developed and produced the first prototypes. In 2024, these initial samples were tested. Now it is time to evaluate the insights gained and produce improved new test pieces. Unfortunately, we still lack a well-equipped production facility.

Learn more about the use of Lightwood at www.lightwood.org