Maud Descamps, edited by Solène Leroux 7:30 p.m., May 19, 2022
Faced with the intensive exploitation of wood, groups of owners are forming almost everywhere in France.
These tree lovers bet their money to preserve the forests, with the aim of exploiting them in a responsible and sustainable way.
Europe 1 met two investors.
More and more tree lovers are investing their personal money in forest plots to save them from intensive logging.
Groups of owners have formed all over France.
Their objective: to operate responsibly and sustainably.
This is the case of François, 50, a lumberjack and manager of an adventure park in Saône-et-Loire.
Three years ago, he invested 2,500 euros in a plot of forest.
"It motivates me to stop the industrial exploitation of life, and in particular of the forest", he insists at the microphone of Europe 1.
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At his side, about 70 other co-investors.
All of them live in the region and defend responsible exploitation of the forest, which does not prevent the group from selling wood.
“For the framework, for the heating”, details François.
“At most, we will take 20% of the wood present on the stand,” he assures.
Preserving biodiversity
A few kilometers from Lyon, Florent created the Cerf Vert forestry group, based on the same model.
“In France, there are two types of forestry,” he explains.
"Individual forest owners who have no idea they have forests and don't manage them, and big corporations who overharvest the forest," he continues.
"We want to put ourselves in between and exploit while preserving biodiversity."
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Faced with soaring prices and tensions on the timber market, these groups of small owners are increasingly coming up against the major players in the sector, who are buying up plots of forest at exorbitant prices.