« back to investments

Frequenty Asked Questions

How do I know the projects are genuine?

We have complete supporting documentation available to anyone who wishes to see it, and all products have been scrutinized by the legal departments of Citadel Trustees as well as all IFAs, mortgage brokers and agents selling our products. Citadel are happy to receive questions from customers regarding Silva Tree, our products and our investment structure. Large investors often visit our projects in person and we can arrange visits for anyone who wishes to do so.

Why do you not sell freehold land?

According to local laws, if we were to sell freehold land, each and every plot would have to be separated and registered individually as well as given direct road access. It is physically impossible to build roads to every unit sold, and this activity would of course destroy the projects we are implementing. This law does not apply to a land lease.

What are the risks to my investment?

The risks are very low: our company policy is to retain the majority of any project ourselves, thereby taking on the majority of any potential risk to the project, as well as creating a massive buffer to offset any damage to an investor unit. We also maintain additional project buffers, as required by the VCS carbon standard to account for project risk. All maintenance costs are held in escrow so there is no chance of the projects being stopped, regardless of what may happen to Silva Tree in the future. Similarly, land units are held in trust independently of Silva Tree. Project locations are chosen for their political and weather stability and every care is taken to ensure that illegal logging or damage do not occur. As major stakeholders in every project, Silva Tree have a more than good customer care as an incentive to maintain their projects in perfect condition.

How can the project benefit my business, or my personal portfolio?

Aside from the financial gain, being a part of a genuine environmental project can lend enormous credibility to your company or organisation; being able to say you are helping to fight climate change, improve the socioeconomic conditions of developing countries and protect animal species is a great marketing tool. Our products are secure and stable, offering an ideal opportunity to diversify your investment portfolio, particularly one which is heavy on property.

Does the project exploit local land owners?

No- we pay fair prices to landowners; not underpaying them, nor overpaying them thereby driving up land prices and pushing local buyers out of the market. We give landowners the opportunity to use our projects for their own endeavors, such as farming in between trees on plantation soils and using our land for cattle grazing.

How do Silva Tree make their money?

We do not sell all the land in our projects, we only release small parts of each one in order to facilitate further expansion. By maintaining a majority of each project, we make sure we make high returns on our investment, just like our customers.

Can I invest in my own currency?

Citadel Trustees collect all monies; they currently accept investments in USD, GBP and Euros.  Currencies payable are dependent upon your country of residence.  If you live outside of the aforementioned currency zones, you will be asked to invest in USD.  All Silva Tree investment opportunities are based on USD and the corresponding GBP and Euro amounts are subject to exchange rate fluctuations.  If you are paying in any currency other than USD, the exchange rate applied to your investment will be set on the day of receipt of your Application Form, or on the day we complete received Application Forms.