Reducing the deforestation and degradation of tropical forests contribute to the mitigation of climate change, enhance the conservation of biodiversity and improve the livelihood of forest dependent people. But the fact that the domestic and international needs and demands for tropical hardwood and other non wood forest products remain and perhaps will increase with the growth of human population means that forest exploitation will continue and will not be completed stopped.
Building on the realisation that only a small percentage of tropical forests will ever be set aside permanently, ACDEF and partners promote carbon forestry and sustainable use forestry initiatives in Africa. The aim of these initiatives is to retain and restore tropical forests and to promote the sustainable management of its components for timber and non-timber products. ACDEF and partners encourage and support the preservation of natural forests for carbon credits. We also complement this with the sustainable uses of non-protected forests that contribute to the social and economic development of the people. By maximising the financial returns from forest management and value-added activities that are profitable, we ensure that the value of standing forests remains competitive with the conversion to alternative land uses. By so doing, we ensure that the biological diversity of tropical forests is maintained while enhancing the ecological functions that sustained it.
Through the equitable sharing of forest-derived benefits, ACDEF and partners ensure that the indigenous and other forest dependent people participate in and benefit from the long-term protection and management of African tropical forests.
Please explore our Carbon Forestry and Sustainable Use Forestry initiatives.
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