Monday, November 17, 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commemorated its 80th anniversary with an international showcase of sustainable innovations that demonstrate the power of forests to shape a resilient future. At the heart of the “From Seeds to Foods” exhibition, held from 10 to 13 October, forestry took centre stage as a vital contributor to climate action, sustainable agriculture, and next-generation construction materials.
Among the companies spotlighting forestry’s transformative potential was Interholco, a leading African wood-products manufacturer known for responsibly managed, certified timber from the Republic of Congo. Interholco’s contributions drew significant attention from visitors, policymakers, and dignitaries—including FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho—who toured the exhibition to observe innovative solutions developed across the forest sector.
FAO Forestry Director Zhimin Wu emphasised the critical role of forests in addressing global challenges.
“The forestry-focused display shows what forests can offer for people and the planet – from foods to sustainable materials, to ecosystem services, to climate solutions.”
Interholco’s exhibit fully embodied this message, presenting two flagship innovations that demonstrate how sustainably managed African forests can generate high-value products while supporting communities, biodiversity, and long-term climate stability.
High-tech glulam timber: An African solution for low-carbon construction
One of the most notable contributions showcased by Interholco was its high-performance glulam (glued laminated timber) manufactured in the Republic of Congo. Engineered from sustainably harvested hardwoods, this structural timber is certified by KOMO and CTB-LCA for quality and reliability, and its production operates under strong socio-environmental safeguards through FSC®, PEFC, and PAFC certifications.
Interholco’s glulam offers several core advantages for the global construction market:
1. A carbon-Llocking building material
Glulam is recognized as a major opportunity for decarbonising the building sector. By storing carbon absorbed during tree growth, the material helps reduce the climate footprint of buildings when used in place of steel and concrete. Interholco’s African hardwood glulam offers exceptional structural strength and long-term durability, making it suitable for bridges, multi-storey buildings, and architectural elements that require high load-bearing capacity.
2. Defect-free and high-performance composition
The company’s lamination process ensures consistent quality and stability, producing a defect-free engineered wood that performs reliably under demanding construction specifications. The product’s predictable mechanical properties meet international standards and lend themselves to advanced architectural designs.
3. A “Made in Africa” climate solution
Interholco is pioneering the positioning of African-made engineered wood in the global sustainability landscape. By processing timber domestically, the company creates local jobs, supports community development, and demonstrates how value-added forest products from Africa can become central to global climate strategies.
Biochar
In addition to its engineered timber, Interholco presented an innovation that captured widespread attention for its environmental versatility: industrially produced biochar, derived entirely from residues of the company’s FSC-certified production operations.
Biochar—rich in carbon and highly stable—is emerging as one of the most promising tools for enhancing soil quality and strengthening agricultural resilience. Interholco’s circular production model demonstrates how wood-product residues can be transformed into a beneficial resource rather than waste.
Biochar’s triple-impact benefits
Interholco’s biochar was highlighted as a model example of circular economy principles in the wood industry, using by-products to generate new environmental value. This closed-loop system connects sustainable forestry directly with food security, climate resilience, and improved agricultural productivity—an approach FAO is actively promoting across its member states.
Interholco manages 1.16 million hectares of natural forest in the Republic of Congo. As an FSC®, PEFC, and PAFC certified producer, the company maintains strict ecological standards while promoting social development in the region.
The company’s operations contribute to:
Interholco’s commitment to transparency is underscored by its verified FDES environmental and health performance declarations, which allow architects and developers—especially in Europe—to confidently specify African wood materials in sustainable building projects.
The FAO’s 80th-anniversary celebration highlighted how forests, when responsibly managed, can support solutions that cut across sectors—energy, food systems, construction, and climate action. Interholco’s offerings demonstrate that African forestry has a significant role to play in supplying the world with high-quality, low-carbon materials and regenerative agricultural tools.
As global demand for sustainable wood products continues to grow, innovations like African glulam and circular biochar position the continent not just as a resource provider but as a leader in generating climate-smart, socially responsible solutions.
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Tags: African wood products, FAO 80th anniversary, FSC certified timber, Interholco, PEFC certified wood, sustainable forestry innovation
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