Streamlining forest data in Central Africa: A decade of collaboration between FAO and OFAC/COMIFAC
Since 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been working closely with the Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC) under the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) through the Collaborative Forest Resources Questionnaire (CFRQ).
Together, the CFRQ partners gather and share information on more than 60 percent of the variables for FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) – cutting down on duplication, easing the reporting workload for countries and promoting data consistency.
“This partnership helps streamline forest resource data collection across the region, ensuring that countries only need to report their findings once" said Anne Branthomme, FAO Forestry Officer.
Partnership in forest reporting
In the current FRA reporting cycle, collaboration between FAO and OFAC/COMIFAC has grown even stronger. Representatives from OFAC/COMIFAC have been actively involved in the FRA 2025 reporting workshop, helping to ensure every country of the Central African region is engaged in the process.
OFAC/COMIFAC now has access to key platforms where they can review draft reports, submit comments and support countries directly. They have provided direct reporting assistance to nations like Cameroon and the Central African Republic and contributed important data for countries such as the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two organizations have maintained open communication regarding their processes, convening routinely to update each other on the status of data collection for FRA 2025 and regional efforts.
Primary forests in the Congo Basin
A key area of focus has been improving reporting on primary forests – one of the most critical and vulnerable forest types in the region. In the past, a workshop was jointly organized in Douala, Cameroon, from 19 to 22 April 2022, to improve reporting on primary forests in Central Africa.
Further emphasizing their commitment, FAO and OFAC/COMIFAC co-organized a side event on primary forests during the Congo Basin Forest Partnership meeting on 3 June 2024. Building on that momentum, the organizations teamed up to establish a working group dedicated to primary forests in the Congo Basin, led by OFAC/COMIFAC.
Collaborative efforts for a sustainable future
The ongoing collaboration between FAO and OFAC/COMIFAC is a testament to the power of joint efforts. Their shared focus on primary forests underscores the urgency of protecting these irreplaceable ecosystems, which play a vital role in biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
By aligning their processes and maintaining open lines of communication, they are not only reducing the burden on national reporting teams but also ensuring that the data collected is accurate, consistent and useful for regional and global forest conservation goals.
“Building on this momentum, this partnership holds immense potential for future collaboration, from expanding into new thematic areas and encouraging voluntary updates to the FRA country reports, to ultimately harmonizing indicators for even more consistent and valuable data” said Dr Florence Palla, Coordinator of the Technical Unit for the OFAC-Center of Excellence Project, COMIFAC-OFAC support.
Learn more
- FRA data platform: COMIFAC space
- Story: FAO and global partners unite to strengthen conservation efforts of primary forests
- Webpage: Collaborative Forest Resources Questionnaire
- Webpage: Collaborative Partnership on Forests | Primary forests
- Website: Central Africa Forest Observatory