Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, WWF and Proforest, the workshop was the first formal event to take place in CAR, following the country becoming a signatory to the TFA 2020 Marrakesh Declaration for the Sustainable Development of the Oil Palm Sector in Africa.
Left to right: Louis Defo of Proforest, Mr Honoré Feï Zouré, Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Jean-Bernard Yarissem, CAR Country Director of WWF | Photo credit: Ludovic Miaro, WWF.
Held in the Republic’s capital city of Bangui, the workshop included delegates from the private sector – including oil palm growers and traders – and civil society and community groups and focused on agreeing national principles and action plan that can guide the development of a sustainable palm oil sector in the country. Sustainable agricultural development is an important aspect of the national government’s plans for economic development.
Left to right: Jean-Bernard Yarissem, CAR Country Director of WWF, Mr Honoré Feï Zouré, Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Louis Defo of Proforest | Photo credit: Ludovic Miaro, WWF.
The meeting was opened by Mr Honoré Féizouré, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who said:
"The Central African Republic is not immune to deforestation if the arrangements are not made, with the support of the government, to develop the agro-ecological potential of the country.“
Jean-Bernard Yarissem, WWF’s CAR Country Director said:
‘…the development of the country must necessarily be based on the development of natural resources in general and the development of the agricultural sector, in particular.”