Community response to Liberia's Forest Development Authority (FDA) concerning the TFA 2020 Africa Palm Oil Initiative

The Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 is a global public-private partnership, designed to remove deforestation from the palm oil, beef, soya, and pulp and paper sectors.  In Liberia it focuses on the palm oil sector and has previously worked with the government, private sector and civil society to produce a series of nine guiding principles designed to regulate the sector in Liberia.

Sixteen community representatives from across Liberia attended the 2nd Annual Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA) National Dialogue, 1-4 August, to talk about the future of both their lands and large-scale agricultural developments in the country. At the culmination of the four days, the 16 representatives prepared a letter which they presented to the Liberian Forest Development Authority (FDA) and which set out their concerns and future hopes.

The letter makes it clear that unless ongoing land tenure issues around customary ownership were resolved and secured, the ability of the palm oil sector to provide a conflict free and therefore sustainable future for Liberia and the communities upon whose land it would operate is in doubt.

Click here to read the community response letter