Forestería en las tierras secas

Publication of NGARA framework of priorities

01/11/2017

The regional Network for Natural Gums and Resins in Africa (NGARA), with support from FAO’s Action Against Desertification (AAD) project, has established its framework of priorities (2017-2030) to support sustainable production and use of commercial plant gums and resins, locally and internationally. These can be obtained from trees and forests in African drylands, an area of the world characterized by desertification and high levels of poverty.

The network, which was established in 2000, brings together stakeholders in the gums and resins sector, including farmers, collectors, traders, governments, non-governmental organizations, exporters and importers. All share a common desire to improve the production and quality of locally produced gums and resins for domestic, regional and global markets.

The network supports its 15 member countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the sustainable development of gums, resins and allied dryland resources. This, in turn, helps to improve livelihoods in communities and the economies of member countries while working to conserve the environment. Those member countries are: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.  

NGARA’s framework of priorities, developed after two consultative workshops in 2015 and 2016, identifies a number of key result areas and strategic objectives. These include:

  • promote sustainable production and restoration of gum and resin resources;
  • enhance marketing of, and investment in, gum and resin products in the region and globally; promote sustainable investment in value-added products in the gums and resins sector;
  • develop enabling policies and legal frameworks at the national and regional levels;
  • strengthen capacity of the NGARA Secretariat and national associations, and strengthen coordination between national and regional activities;
  • support research and development;
  • enhance communication, advocacy and visibility among NGARA’s key stakeholders.

Visit the NGARA website