A NEW programme empowering forest and farm producers to accelerate restoration-based value-added innovation, focusing on Africa, was launched today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Togo, one of six countries that will participate in the initiative.

The four-year, multi-partner programme will support the implementation of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) of the African Union with EUR 40 million from the Government of Germany. It will enable local communities, smallholder forest and farm producer organizations and Indigenous Peoples to lead restoration efforts and develop value-added opportunities by providing them with direct financial and technical assistance.

“By officially launching the AFR100 programme, Togo showcases its strong commitment to restoring forests and landscapes while addressing the pressing challenges of climate change,” said Djiwa Oyetounde, Assistant FAO Representative in Togo, at a signing ceremony in Kpalimé, Togo. 

“Together with our partners, we are committed to building a more resilient and equitable future for the most vulnerable communities.”

The programme will build on several years of work by the FAO-led Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) with smallholder farmers and forest producers to link forestry and agriculture, restore degraded landscapes and increase rural livelihoods.

Empowering communities

The programme will support communities to restore and improve management of 27,000 hectares by the end of 2027. Similar work will be launched in coming months in five other countries – the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania.

In Togo, this programme focuses particularly on the southern area of the Plateaux-Ouest region, recognized as a biodiversity hotspot but also an area facing many environmental, ecological and socio-economic challenges.

The programme will also support forest and farm producers in restoration-related business incubation, access to funding and investment, and access to markets for value added products.

Boosting restoration efforts across the region

While Africa is naturally rich in resources, up to 65 percent of productive land in Africa is degraded, while desertification affects 45 percent of Africa’s land area.

Under the African Forest and Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), 34 countries have pledged to restore at least 100,000 ha by 2030.

The new FAO-led programme aims to support the ambitions of AFR100. It is organized in collaboration with the AFR100 Secretariat, which is hosted by the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the governments of the six participating countries.

Potential benefits

Degraded forest landscapes intensify the effects of climate change and severely threaten the ecological functions vital to building prosperous and resilient economies.

Rural smallholder farmers and households suffer the most as their activities depend on healthy soils, tree cover, and clean water.

Restoring degraded forests and land can improve food and water security, protect biodiversity, build resilience to climate change, and boost economic growth, helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

The FAO-led initiative will foster value-added innovation, the creation of restoration-based businesses, and access to funding for forest and farm producers, including blended finance solutions. This will stimulate economic growth, improve livelihoods, and create green jobs, especially for women and youth.