The Rubber Plant and Palm Oil Africa Conference, highlighting the opportunities available from forest ecosystems, noted that these opportunities are particularly available for emerging markets and Africa.
Participants also noted that industrial palm oil projects align with a number of development goals and green growth strategies in the region, and can help mitigate deforestation of primary forests.
6 September 2012: The Rubber Plant and Palm Oil Africa conference highlighted the business opportunities that forest ecosystems present for sustainable forestry, forest carbon and renewable energy, particularly for emerging markets and Africa. According to presentations at the conference, opportunities include income from timber and non-timber forest products, generating carbon credits and providing renewable energy sources.
Discussions highlighted that initiatives to take advantage of these opportunities should be adapted to country’s circumstances as well as provide an enabling environment for actors in this sector. Participants also noted that industrial palm oil projects align with a number of development goals and green growth strategies in the region, and can help mitigate deforestation of primary forests, and encourage small and medium enterprises (SME) growth as well as community development.
The conference took place from 4-7 September 2012, in Accra, Ghana, and was organized by the Centre for Management Technology. [AfDB Press Release]