FDH Bank Plc has given Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) 11, 000 seedlings to support their tree planting activities within farmer groups.
Speaking during the symbolic handover ceremony in Lilongwe on Tuesday, the Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, Mary Jussab said they committed to plant one million trees by 2024 through various stakeholders including FUM, customers, partners and staff members in alignment with the Malawi 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“FDH Bank Plc recognizes the importance of a green environment and as a responsible corporate citizen has reinforced its commitment to champion a sustainable and resilient green environment that will foster the development of the country and nurture it against various environmental and economic forces.
“We also applaud the role that Farmers Union of Malawi is playing in supporting farmers across the country as well as promoting a green environment. Championing a sustainable environment is the key to a sustainable future in the agriculture sector, a progressive economy and for our wellbeing,” she said.
In his remarks, FUM president Mannes Nkhata commended FDH for the partnership saying farmers activities are regarded among the top environmental degrading aspects, and therefore need to take up a role in ensuring they restore the environment.
“FUM takes issues of reforestation and vegetative regeneration seriously and soon we will be launching our new Strategic Plan that will, among other things, promote climate-smart and sustainable agriculture systems. The partnership that we have with the FDH Bank is therefore already contributing towards this strategic direction,” she said.
Apart from adopting Chingale Hills Forest and sponsoring pro-green initiatives, FDH Bank also runs a “Be Green Smart Tree Planting Season Initiative”, where its staff members plant and nurture five trees each.