World Clean Air Forest Initiative and Jiffy Alliance announce support for the Billion Tree Campaign.

Supporting the UNEP’s Plant for the Planet Campaign, is the core objective of the ‘Venture Philanthropy Alliance’ of the World Clean Air Forest Initiative and Jiffy International.  The WCAFI is committed to apply its 9.1 Billion tree planting objective to the UNEP’s campaign.

“The Mission of the WCAFI is to Grow Clean Air for everyone everywhere by planting 9.1 Billion Trees.  One Clean Air Tree for every person by the year 2050.  The WCAFI places its focus, its core value, and legacy on its results.  The WCAFI is an enviro-health initiative that places Growing Clean Air as its most sustainable benefit”, stated Andy Pothecary Chairman of the WCAFI.

The WCAFI, a United Kingdom based NGO was created to establish a seamless world forest network by funding tree planting and purchasing existing established forests internationally.

Jiffy, the co-founding patron of the WCAFI, and a leading global manufacturer of quality forestry, horticultural, and home gardening products, will design, produce and exclusively market under license, a uniquely branded product collection called “Earth Clean Air”, in support of the WCAFI's fund development campaign.

“The Clean Air Tree Kit utilizes a unique coir based growing medium and container, which will present the world with a ‘Climate Adaptation’ product, and will provide the WCAFI with sustained revenues to fund its global mission”, stated Jiffy North American President – Daniel M. Schrodt.

Andy Pothecary, Chairman of the WCAFI states, “The WCAFI, an Earth Charter member, was initiated as the icon NGO of Climate Adaptation Stewardship, together with our Roots to Canopy Educational Program. The support of the UNEP will set the stage for establishing the Venture Philanthropy Model as the working blueprint for other philanthropy causes in the future”.

“I am pleased with the World Clean Air Forest Initiative and its innovative Venture Philanthropy Model fund development and Roots to Canopy Educational initiatives. Historically, forests have all too often been viewed as abundant sources of timber for activities like construction, ship building and fuel.  However, the wide importance of these ecosystems is now increasingly understood, including purifying the air we breathe" stated Achim Steiner Executive Director UNEP

Key inspirations for the WCAFI mission came from Prof. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who said “When we plant trees we plant the seeds of peace and of hope”, and from Mr. Al Gore, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, for his work on the issue of Climate Change, who was the recipient of the very first WCAFI Clean Air Tree, supporting his famous phrase from An Inconvenient Truth “Plant trees, Lots of Trees!”
>> Visit the WCAFI website

Editors Notes:

JIFFY – A leading supplier to plant propagation
Jiffy International AS is a wholly owned company of the Johan G. Olsen Group.  Through partly and wholly owned companies in Norway as well as outside Norway, the Johan G. Olsen Group broadens the opportunity to spread and strengthen its manufacturing and marketing activities within its main areas of plant propagation products, hardwood flooring, and  cement/concrete.

The Jiffy group has manufacturing plants in the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Japan, USA, Canada and Sri Lanka, in addition to sales offices in England, Germany, Kenya, France and the USA.  Agencies, sales people and importers are located throughout the world.

Jiffy’s mission is to enable Young Plant Propagators to excel in their industry by providing cost effective solutions to make their young plants stand out as superior products.  Our target is to be the worldwide leading supplier of containerized substrates to professional growers and the leading brand in seed starting products.  In 2002, Jiffy acquired the company Preforma, producing Preforma plant-plugs and box plugs.  Jiffy is North America’s largest retail seed starting company.

Green Belt Movement
Wangari Maathai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an environmentalist, a civil society and women's rights activist, and a parliamentarian. You can read about her life and her organization through her two books, Unbowed: A Memoir and The Green Belt Movement. You can also scan condensed versions of her life and achievements, including being awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Canadian Institute of Forestry
The Canadian Institute of Forestry-Institut forestier du Canada (CIF/IFC) is one of Canada’s oldest conservation organizations. Its members are dedicated to sound forest stewardship and sustainability across Canada and throughout the world. The Institute is a vibrant and modern national network for all types of forest professionals; communicating and facilitating the application of new or improved forest science into practice, strongly promoting continuing education and professional development opportunities for its members, and advocating for long-term wise use of the forest, and for the many ecological, social and economic benefits that trees provide. Forest professionals ensure public and private landowner forest objectives are met. CIF/IFC members work in government, industry, and academia, and include foresters, technicians, biologists, ecologists, educators, economists and many individuals with an interest and passion for our world’s forests and the complex ecosystems that they encompass. The Institute will proudly celebrate a century of achievement in 2008!
>> Visit the JIFFY website