In October, the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) led the validation workshops of two key projects under the Global Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Program (FOLUR IP):

• In Guinea, the “Integrated management of degraded landscapes for sustainable food systems and livelihoods in the Guinea Forest Region and Upper Guinea.” The project will be implemented over 5 years with a USD 10 million budget, and aims to promote sustainable and comprehensive food systems that are deforestation free and provide ecosystem services, with a focus on palm oil productive landscapes.
• In Kenya, the “Integrated landscape management for conservation and restoration of the Mount Elgon ecosystem in Western Kenya.” This five-year project, with a USD 5.8 million budget, aims to promote sustainable integrated management of Mount Elgon landscape through the development of an inclusive responsible coffee value chain and sustainable staple food production systems.

These two projects were developed over a ten-month period with the support of expert national consultants and FAO local teams. National and local level consultations were at the core of the work, ensuring that a common vision was built for the projects. The workshops provided an opportunity to:

• present the full project document;
• validate the results matrix and the project components and activities;
• validate the institutional organization of the project; and
• ensure synergies with other activities in progress or under development.

In Guinea, to ensure inclusiveness and adherence to social distancing principles, some participants were allowed to attend the workshop online. The workshop brought together 54 participants in total – 25 in person and 29 online. The attendees included key project stakeholders, such as representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, ANAFIC, IFAD, national NGOs, SMEs, incubators and local authorities, and elected officials of the target communes and farmers’ organizations. Each consultant was able to present and discuss the results of their work, covering:

• work done during the project preparation grant phase (consultations, missions, etc.);
• pilot site selection process;
• project results and activities matrix;
• integration of young people and women in the project; and
• institutional framework and coordination with other projects.

The project was very well received by the participants who agreed that it could have a strong impact on natural resources management and sustainable food systems in Guinea. They also gave some recommendations on:

• the non-timber forest products that could be supported by the project;
• the importance of supporting the decentralization process; and
• clarifying the knowledge management sharing mechanism.

In Kenya, over 50 participants representing the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bungoma and Trans Nzoia Counties, technical institutions, NGOs, the private sector, local community organizations, farmers’ cooperatives and the Ogiek Indigenous peoples met on 26 and 27 October during a participatory write-shop to discuss the draft project proposal and fill in any remaining gaps. Specific attention was given to the results framework, risk matrix, inclusion of women, young people and Indigenous peoples, and institutional arrangements.

On 28 October a national validation workshop was organized under the leadership of the permanent secretary representative from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the chief conservator of forests and the County Executive Committee members for environment from Bungoma and Trans Nzoia. Both county governments stressed their commitment to supporting the project financially and with human resources, as part of their county integrated development planning process. The representative of the Mount Elgon Farmers’ Cooperative Union stated that the project would contribute to increasing people’s incomes through improved productivity for coffee and maize, and announced that they were negotiating with Korea for direct marketing of their coffee. The representative of the Cheptikak Indigenous peoples development project also expressed his support. He highlighted the need to continuously and fully involve Indigenous peoples and other vulnerable and marginalized groups to ensure that their needs and priorities were integrated into the project. A representative from the private sector (Equity Bank) informed the participants about past and ongoing efforts aimed at supporting the increase of forest cover across the country, including the project area.

For more information contact us at: [email protected].

Christophe Besacier (FAO), Mathilde Iweins (FAO) and Benjamin De Ridder (FAO)