Nestlé Romania continued for the fifth consecutive year the “Honey Forest” project, part of the company’s commitment to the environment, planting another 10,000 acacia trees on an area of two hectares within the Oltenița Municipality, Călărași County, approximately 70 km southeast of Bucharest.
The Nestlé Honey Forest is an innovative concept launched by the company in Romania, combining both forest regeneration for better absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, but also the creation of an attractive ecosystem for beekeeping in our country, because acacia is the main honey-producing forest species in Romania.
This year, almost 200 volunteers, employees and Nestlé partners, as well as from the Re-Autentic Association, voluntarily participated in the planting of 10,000 acacia seedlings in Oltenița, near the Danube, thus continuing the reforestation campaign in the plain area of Muntenia, within which a total of 95,000 acacias has already been planted. From 2020 to the present, Nestlé has planted 120,000 trees in Romania.
“We are glad that we found in Oltenița the opening for this sustainability project that will bring economic and environmental benefits to the entire local community. The acacia forest that we have started to plant here will significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, through the photosynthesis process, because a 6-ha plantation can absorb over 90 tons of CO2 annually, given that the planting density will be higher. Through the “Honey Forest”, the Nestlé Romania team and their partners create a positive impact on the local ecosystem, supporting land restoration and biodiversity stabilization”, says Cătălin Nechifor, Re-Autentic Association.
This project specifically aims to restore affected soils, support biodiversity and create a harmonious environment for both people and bees. In general, the production of acacia honey per hectare is between 800 and 2,000 kg, which means that for the entire acacia plantation can obtain up to 8-10 tons of honey, provided that local beekeepers will also be encouraged and promoted accordingly by both local and county authorities.
“Honey is one of the miracles of nature, but now bees need human support to create new areas conducive to bees and the beekeeping community in our country. We are happy that we can contribute, for the fifth consecutive year, to the regeneration of Romania’s forest heritage. We are glad that we have partners in the Re-Authentic Association and the Oltenița City Hall with whom we can contribute to concrete measures to preserve the environment and protect biodiversity in Romania”, says Irina Siminenco, Corporate Affairs Manager, Nestlé Romania.
Through this effort, Nestlé, the largest food and beverage company in the world, supports its commitment to sustainable development, which includes reaching net zero emissions by 2050, transitioning to 100% renewable energy, developing alternative packaging, and increasing biodiversity and reducing CO2 by planting trees.
