Africa Practitioners Network – Strengthening understanding

In West and Central Africa, agricultural and forest commodity production is rapidly expanding and there is growing interest in making production responsible. Capacity development is essential to address the lack of practical understanding and experience of interpreting, implementing and auditing sustainability measures and to deliver this transition to responsible production. 

The Africa Practitioners Network focuses on strengthening participants’ capacity to understand, implement and monitor sustainability initiatives including certification (FSC, RSPO), Regional Principles (eg. TFA APOI) and legality agreements (eg FLEGT/VPA). 

APN develops capacity various ways including: 

• Delivering training courses with partners, building on existing good practice. 

• Provides opportunities for learning through practical experience, where participants engage in field work with expert mentors. 

• Prioritizing support for institutions and individuals that demonstrate commitment to the natural resources sustainability sector. 

Since 2016, APN has provided on the job mentoring for 76 practitioners including 29 independent assessors (FSC, RSPO, HCV) and 47 NG0 actors in FLEGT / VPA.