Tropical Forest & Rural Development (TF-RD), a 2021 Equator Prize winner
published on 03 August 2021
Tropical Forest & Rural Development, a long-term partner of the Small-scale Initiatives Programme (PPI) supported by the FFEM, is one of the 10 winners of the 2021 Equator Prize. Organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this Prize honours “trailblazing indigenous and local solutions for people and planet.”
In the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon, this Civil Society Organisation (CSO) promotes non-wood forestry products through cocoa-based agroforestry and the gathering forestry products, with a view to reducing poverty while protecting vulnerable ecosystems and species. TF-RD can use environmental education and practical regional initiatives, specifically by providing means of action to indigenous communities within and around the reserve, to improve local income and instil a sustainable management dynamic for forest resources.
“This year’s Equator Prize winners demonstrate that this transformation is already happening across the globe - their incredible nature-based solutions are providing a blueprint to solve our planetary emergency. This year’s winners exemplify the kinds of changes we need now, giving us inspiration to follow in their footsteps,” said UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner.
This is the third PPI partner to be awarded an Equator Prize, following CREDI and CAMGEW in 2019, and further recognises its relevance for local socio-economic development and environmental protection.
