At Duvel Moortgat, sustainability is extremely important to us. That is why our organization Duvel Moortgat has been a proud partner of WeForest since 2018. WeForest's mission is to preserve and restore forests and landscapes and involves the communities of the region in their implementation.
Duvel Moortgat specifically supports the Copperbelt project in Zambia. On Monday we received a visit to our brewery in Breendonk from Fainess Lumbwe, the person responsible for the project supported by Duvel Moortgat.
Can you explain a bit more about the Copperbelt project?
"Sure! Within this project we support local communities in the Copperbelt region in planting forests and repairing damaged trees. By renewing these forests, water, soil and air quality improve, jobs are created and the climate is better regulated. "
"In addition, the forests also provide food and other products with which communities can generate long-term income. For example, by installing beehives in the forests or picking fruit and vegetables, families and communities can earn an income in a much more sustainable way and for a much longer period of time."
Why is there so much deforestation in Zambia?
"After the collapse of copper mining, an economic disaster for the population followed. Many families lost their jobs and had to look for alternatives to generate income."
"Many families moved to wooded regions to cut trees for charcoal extraction, which they could sell. In the places where all the trees had disappeared, other families could do agriculture for a while. Unfortunately, after a while the soil became infertile and the inhabitants had to find other locations to cut down trees and do agriculture. The result was that a certain piece of land only provided income for a short period of time."
