Development Bank of Japan Inc. ("DBJ") has signed an investment agreement with TIR Europe Sustainable Forestry and Natural Capital Fund SCSp SICAV-RAIF ("the Fund"), which focuses its investments on timberland in the southern regions of the United States.
The Fund is managed by Timberland Investment Resources Europe LLP ("TIR Europe") as the third fund intended for non-US investors, Forest Management services are provided by its parent company Timberland Investment Resources LLC("TIR"). TIR is based In Atlanta and founded by Mark Seaman in 2003, as of March 31, 2023, has investments comprising some 870,000 acres (about 352,000 hectares) of timberland, mostly in the southern United States, but also with properties in the US Northeast, Lake States and the Pacific Northwest.
In 2021, DBJ invested in TIR Europe Forestry Fund 2, a previous fund established by TIR Europe with the aim of acquiring knowledge from overseas advanced cases in timberland investment and bringing it to the domestic market to pursue the possibility of future deployment in Japan. While Japanese financial investors' investments in timberland are still limited, DBJ aims to further deepen our knowledge through this investment in the United States, the world's largest timberland investment market. We will strive to bring knowledge and skills to Japanese financial institutions and contribute to the revitalization of the country's timberland business.
DBJ's corporate philosophy is to "apply financial expertise to design the future: to open up new frontiers as we resolve the issues of our clients and the community while promoting sustainable development for Japan and the world." In keeping with these principles, DBJ will lend financial support to efforts to resolve issues facing Japan's food and agriculture industries and promote their further development.
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