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Strengthening institutional capacities to train the next generation of forest and farm producers and practitioners 

Strengthening the knowledge and capacities for learning, innovation, and inclusion is vital for forests to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and other global and local forest-related goals. Dynamic, practical, and innovative forest training and capacity development are needed to attract rural youth and build an adaptable workforce and create local employment. Yet, there is a critical lack of policy attention on and investment in building the necessary capacities of trainers and professionals and related training institutions that provide practical training and capacity-development solutions to foresters, farmers, smallholders, women, and youth.

Our work

FAO’s “Strengthening institutional capacities to train the next generation of forest and farm producers and practitioners,” project, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), will improve the enabling conditions to accelerate and upscale the dissemination of innovative solutions towards more sustainable forest and farm management practices to train and provide access to practical knowledge, skills, and capacity development to the next generation of forest and farm producers. Running from December 2024 to November 2027, the project will support national-level forest and farm producer organizations (FFPOs) and training centres to strengthen their capacity to provide improved training and capacity-development services on sustainable forest management topics in Guatemala, Togo and Viet Nam.

The project will strengthen knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer learning and collaboration at national and global levels. It will also develop practical tools and training materials to strengthen the knowledge and skills of rural youth and practitioners to manage natural resources more effectively. Additionally, the project will promote policy dialogues, develop partnerships, and raise awareness at local, regional and global levels to increase support for consolidating and scaling up practical training and capacity-development solutions for FFPOs-led training approaches. This effort is driven in collaboration with the Forestry Division’s Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and the Global Farmer Field School (FFS) Platform from FAO’s Office of Innovation, in partnership with national stakeholders, including forest and farm producer organizations, government agencies and training centers.

The project objectives will be achieved by: 

  • Strengthening and scaling up national-level FFPOs and training centres’ capacity-development and practical training initiatives (including Farmer Field Schools and Farm Business Schools).
  • Awareness raising to attract attention and support for the consolidation and scaling-up of practical training and capacity-development solutions for rural youth.
  • Developing a multi-year support plan following a specific needs assessment, to provide the FFPOs with tailored support to lead the further development of their own training initiatives related to sustainable forest and farm management practices.
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The project aligns with FAO’s Strategic Framework priority areas, including:

  • Innovation for sustainable agricultural production (BP1)
  • Equitable access to resources for small-scale producers (BP4)
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem services for food and agriculture (BE3)
It also supports the FAO Forestry Division’s priority action to strengthen forestry education, training, and capacity development on value-adding innovations and technologies, ensuring no one is left behind, including through forest and farmer field schools.
Related links
Sustainable Development Goals

Through inclusive training approaches led by FFPOs, emphasizing gender equality and local knowledge, the project contributes to global efforts to achieve key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: 

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Contact

José Díaz Díaz
Forestry officer
[email protected]

Victoria Valenzi
Forest Capacity Development & MEL Consultant
[email protected]

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