A look behind the scenes at BaumInvest

What are the most important tasks of the Supervisory Board?

Our core tasks are auditing the annual financial statements, approving the business plan and reviewing risk management. We keep ourselves regularly informed about business developments and are available to CEO Antje Virkus as contact persons. We monitor the industry and new trends very closely so that we can react to changes at an early stage. One example: We are always discussing innovative approaches. One very interesting idea we are currently playing with is biochar – to combine ecological and economic goals. It is produced by the carbonization of plant material in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis) and can be incorporated into the soil. There it stores the carbon from the CO₂ absorbed by the plant from the atmosphere for a very long time. In the soil, it improves soil fertility and water availability and therefore offers both climate protection and agricultural benefits.

So do you all have a forestry background?

No, we are not forestry experts, but we each contribute our expertise and research and provide background information. I was a biology and mathematics teacher for a long time. I also attended two semesters of lectures on international forestry at university after I started as a supervisory board member. So that I have a bit of technical knowledge (laughs).
Gudrun Welsch comes from a large car company as a quality manager, Carolin Salvamoser has a marketing background, Martin Homola is an international forestry expert and Erhard Schulz is a co-founder of BUND. I think we complement each other very well.

How do the meetings work? Are there any particular focal points?

The meetings are very structured. First, there is a report from the management, then current projects and challenges are discussed. Key topics include new projects or the evaluation of CO₂ storage capacity. The discussions are open and constructive, sometimes controversial – but always with the aim of moving BaumInvest forward.

In your opinion, how does BaumInvest manage to combine ecological and economic goals?

BaumInvest focuses on planting native tree species in the mixed forest concept. This promotes biodiversity, creates wildlife corridors and improves the water supply for the local population. At the same time, CO₂ is absorbed from the atmosphere. It is important to assess the CO₂ storage capacity realistically and avoid double counting. For me, the combination of ecological benefits and economic sustainability is what makes BaumInvest so special.

What challenges do you see for the future of BaumInvest?

The acquisition of new projects remains a key issue for BaumInvest. In the coming years, several projects may be realized in parallel – this requires flexibility and good coordination within the team. Continuous, stable growth is desirable in order to create planning security for everyone involved. The Supervisory Board closely monitors the operational business, contributes its diverse experience and remains open to new developments in the industry and the global environment. In this way, it helps to ensure that BaumInvest is sustainable and fit for the future.

Is there a favorite project that you are particularly enthusiastic about?

I am particularly enthusiastic about the syntropic agroforestry project. It uses the productivity of tropical forests for food production and protects the forest at the same time. This combines ecological and social benefits. I also find biochar exciting because it binds CO₂ in the long term and improves soil fertility.

In 2022 you were in Costa Rica with BaumInvest. What impressed you most there?

The enormous growth and diversity of the planted forests! You can’t even imagine this from photos alone. The encounters with the local people working in the projects were particularly touching – in the office, in the field or with the rangers in the forest. They were so proud of their work and their projects! I didn’t get the feeling that they were just doing it for fun, but that they really support it and are proud of what they are creating. I can recommend the trip to all shareholders to get to know the projects and the people behind them. I myself would definitely like to travel to Colombia as soon as I can.

Ursula, thank you very much for the interview!

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