Sprint to 2020: accelerating action to save our forests

Three events will take place over four days focused on accelerating action on addressing commodity-driven deforestation.

 

• Following on from successful dialogues held in Latin America and Southeast Asia, the TFA 2020 Africa Implementation Dialogue will take place on 14 May 2018. It will bring together jurisdictions engaged in forest conservation with potential partners who can help them realize their plans.
• From May 15 to May 16 2018, TFA 2020 will host its Annual General Assembly – taking place in Africa for the first time. The event will bring together the global forest community in Accra in a “Sprint to 2020” to help accelerate action on eliminating commodity-driven deforestation.
• The week will finish on 17 May with the Fourth Regional Meeting of the Africa Palm Oil Initiative (APOI). APOI is coordinated by Proforest on behalf of the TFA 2020 and aims to help transition the palm oil sector in West and Central Africa to become a sustainable driver of long-term, low-carbon development in a way that is socially beneficial and protects the tropical forests of the region.

Seven African governments publicly committed to placing sustainability and human rights at the heart of Africa’s oil palm sector when they signed the TFA 2020 Marrakesh Declaration at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2016. Since then, work to implement the Declaration has been driven forward by the APOI country teams.

Abraham Baffoe, Africa regional Director of Proforest said:

‘Africa's rich tropical forests represent around 20% of the global total and provide a livelihood to millions of people. But they are under increasing pressure from agricultural production.

'In order to achieve deforestation-free commodity supply chains, whilst balancing economic development in the region, it is vital that we act collectively: bringing in voices from government, the private sector, civil society and indigenous and community groups.
The work of the TFA 2020, such as the Africa Palm Oil Initiative, is an important step towards this.’

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The Africa Palm Oil Initiative is coordinated by Proforest on behalf of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, thanks to financial support from the UK’s Department For International Development through the Partnership for Forests Programme and from the Global Environment Facility through the Good Growth Partnership, via World Wildlife Fund.