Work of this kind is clearly at the crossroads of fundamental research and applied research. What is special about the partnership model initiated by your Laboratory with industrial contractors?
The logic is win-win. Forest contractors committed to FSC certification need the work and advice of our Laboratory and the not-for-profit organisation Nature + (3). Indeed, they are required to report back to FSC certifiers regularly about their efforts to respect the forest and its occupants. Their operational procedures must always be based on serious and credible scientific knowledge. On our part, as a university institution, in these regions we have the benefit of a tremendous observation and testing ground for our undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers which, among other things, benefits from a decent infrastructure in these remote regions. Of course the operators are free not to take on board our knowledge, work and recommendations. Sometimes, for example, we recommend minimal diameters for felling that are higher than those required by the legislation of countries such as Gabon or Cameroon. This can mean a reduction in in the volume of wood extracted and therefore a dead loss. But sometimes our recommendations go the other way, suggesting that wood extraction can be increased without damaging the ecosystem's capacity for long-term regeneration. Indeed some research results lead us to call into question the pertinence of regulatory standards which can then be revised. This partnership between the university and the operator is based on a relationship of trust that has been built up patiently and upon the conviction that everyone has an interest in learning from the experiences of others.

The Laboratoire de Foresterie des Régions tropicales et subtropicales was created in 2003. What conclusions can you draw from its activities and those of Nature + at the current time?
Several aspects in particular are close to my heart. First of all, within a few years we put in place a team of twenty people perfectly integrated in the Unité de Gestion des Ressources Forestières et des Milieux Naturels. With the benefit of seven different nationalities, this team is characterised by a wide range of complementary skills. Over 60 theses have been supervised, three students have received their Ph.D. and ten others are continuing their work. Scientific publications are coming out at a good pace. And I think I can say that our programmes to reforest with the most vulnerable commercial species are trailblazers in Central Africa. In order to effectively measure their impact, I would take just one example: the Pallisco company recently committed to doubling its forest enrichment team in Cameroon, which was created just three years ago. It will soon have 13 people, headed up by a forest engineer. Yet, the trees that it is planting with our help today will only be commercially viable in the next one hundred to two hundred years! It is therefore sincere in its efforts to contribute to the controlled management of the forest, as required and checked very closely by FSC auditors.  The same movement can be seen with our other partners (SFID, Precious Woods, Wijma). Overall, I would say that my main cause for satisfaction lies in having developed a robust partnership model with the companies committed to the certified exploitation of African forests. Thanks to patient work building contacts and relations with serious operators (initially in Gabon, Cameroon, The Republic of Congo and, more recently, the Democratic Republic of Congo), the various stakeholders of the world of tropical forests understand that our Laboratory is a reliable partner. Whether it is end of study work or doctorates, our students now have a potential territory of two million hectares (three to four times the Belgian forest!), almost ideal working conditions. Let's not forget that the tropical environment is both physically and mentally demanding. Our students are sometimes plunged for several days into the forest, if they do not have a minimum of logistical and human support (particularly to familiarise themselves with cultural differences) they could quickly allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the dreadful working conditions. I would add that it is interesting for them to quickly familiarise themselves with constraints in the field related to managing this type of company.  Finally, aside from partnerships entered into with the private sector, it is a matter of highlighting scientific partnerships developed with many national and international partners. The partnership developed with African training and research bodies (for example, Université de Yaoundé I in Cameroon , ENEF and USTM in Gabon, ERAIFT in DRC) is essential and beneficial for the two parties.

How do you start logging in a tropical forest compartment? The operator does not go into the forest out of the blue, asking himself what he is going to be able to fell that day...
Far from it! Once forestry concessions have been awarded by the authorities, the operators have to draw up forest management plans covering a period of twenty-five to thirty years depending on the country. In practical terms, this means that each compartment will be visited by loggers and skidders just once over such a period then completely left to rest.  Prior to logging, it must be catalogued from A to Z, monitored by the various administrations, for its value in terms of wood but also its biological and 'human' value. Indeed, such spaces are full of sacred sites (cemeteries, ceremonial sites and so on) which, in the interests of peaceful coexistence with the local populations, must absolutely be respected during felling and skidding. Moreover, they do not exploit blindly:  sampling techniques allow them to assess the volume of timber available as accurately as possible according to the species. But it goes without saying that FSC certification makes these requirements much more restrictive, for example in terms of the traceability of wood. Thus, at any time, the operator must be able to prove that the trees felled comply with annual logging plans. From the tree stump, marked just after felling, to the plank that comes out of the sawmill, there must be total traceability. FSC certification also forces industry to develop spaces for dialogue and consultation with local populations. In the companies with the greatest awareness about their societal responsibilities solutions, that are not always easy to implement, can require substantial resources. 

(3) Created in 2000, Nature + is a not-for-profit organisation near the Laboratoire de Foresterie Tropicale et Subtropicale of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech specialised in supporting tropical forest managers in a sustainable perspective. It allows them to use the results of scientific research conducted by the Laboratory in a practical way. One of its specialist areas is helping with the technical and organisational management of community forests in Cameroon. These allow local communities, in parallel to large scale industrial operations (both European and Asian), to generate income from the exploitation of timber and non-timber products from the forest. Thanks to agreements entered into by various operators (companies, NGOs, public authorities...). Nature + works on programmes for plantation and reforestation of tropical species, as well as monitoring them scientifically.