Malaysia offers a superb quality of life at prices that most Europeans will find hard to believe.

Sustainable forestry investment is not only a stable and predictable addition to a portfolio, but it has outperformed the S&P index every year since 1910.

Teak is one of the most popular and valuable timbers. Its timber fetches the highest price among the quality hardwood. Teak wood are sought after for decks, trim and detail work in expensive boats and fine furniture, flooring carving, joinery, cabinetwork, paneling, turnery and veneer.

The world is suffering a global credit crunch and consumers are feeling the pinch from rising food and volatile oil prices. So what’s an investor to do in the face of a bear market like this?  How to find the best investment in uncertain times? How to find ethical investments especially for those concerned about sustainable development?

World consumption of tropical hardwood has multiplied nearly 25 times in just the last four decades, to more than 100 billion board feet of tropical hardwood now being consumed each year. The United Nations FAO estimates a 50% increase in demand for timber within the next 15 years.

Malaysia is a world centre for agarwood research and production. As an investment opportunity, direct ownership of agarwood trees is an essential part of any diversified portfolio. Unlike Thailand or Laos, Malaysia enjoys a stable democratic govenment with strong land laws and a transparent land registry based on the UK model - so inverstors in plantations can be confident of clean title and a solid legal basis for their investments.