Transforming forestry and agricultural commodity sectors

Africa

We work with governments, companies and civil society organisations to have a positive impact in forestry and agriculture commodity sectors.

We do this by building capacity, facilitating multi-stakeholder processes for policy dialogue, joint learning, knowledge sharing and practical implementation.

We have an office in Ghana and decentralised staff in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon. The main countries we work in are Burkina Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. The main commodities we work with in Africa are cocoa, timber, palm, sugar and rubber.

Supporting companies

We support companies and smallholder groups in the oil palm, cocoa, rubber and forestry sectors to put responsible production and sourcing commitments into action.

We do this by clearly identifying the challenges of geographically specific socio–cultural and economic conditions, and breaking down the complexities of sustainability standards and commitments.

We have supported many companies in Africa to deliver their commitments, including reducing deforestation through HCV-HCSA assessments and by achieving RSPO certification.

Effective collaboration

By supporting multi-stakeholder initiatives and processes, we provide a neutral platform for stakeholders to agree on shared goals and align activities for maximum impact.

Our unique approach has led to us supporting the Accountability Framework, RSPO National Interpretations, Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme and the Tropical Forest Alliance Africa Palm Oil Initiative.

Developing knowledge & capacity building

To effectively implement responsible practices, it’s important to address the capacity needs of all involved.

That’s why we provide generic and bespoke training and capacity building measures for the public and private sector and civil society organisations.

This includes understanding FLEGT VPA, HCV-HCSA, FSC and RSPO sustainability certification requirements.

Our flagship Africa Practitioners’ Network has greatly enhanced a pool of practitioners’ and smallholders’ capacity to understand and implement sustainability requirements.