There were more than 70 participants in attendance, including high-level representation of the Honorable Minister of Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), the Chairperson of Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), representatives of relevant Ministries, forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs), civil society partners, development partners and private sector.

Along with Nepal, FFF phase II will be implemented for five years (2018-2022) in six other partner countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Kenya, Viet Nam, and Zambia. The programme will also deliver knowledge exchange to a wider network of countries, including Gambia, Guatemala Indonesia, Liberia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, and Tanzania.

Panelists of the FFF phase II launching workshop Photo: IUCN

In Nepal, FFF Phase II plans to work with apex FFPOs led by FECOFUN in collaboration with the MoFE. The primary objective is to enhance the resilience of forest landscapes for improved livelihoods of smallholders, youth, women and indigenous peoples through strengthened forest farm producer organisations.

“Nepal has proven itself by the successful implementation of the first phase of FFF and the objectives of this second phase are supportive to achieve the national goal of prosperity. I would like to assure that there will not be any policy hurdle to work on forest and farm sector in an integrated way”, said Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister of the Forests and Environment (MoFE), while addressing the launching workshop.

Hon’ble Minister and the Secretary of MoFE at the FFF phase II launching workshop Photo: IUCN

The secretary of the MoFE, Dr. Bishwo Nath Oli highlighted the need to focus on the national goals and expressed that the results of FFF could contribute to achieve it.

Addressing the workshop, FAO Representative to Nepal Somsak Pipoppinyo said, “Producer organisations are at the heart of much of FAO’s work across the various strategic programmes. FAO fully support the consultation process which will give direction for the implementation of FFF phase II in Nepal”.

Sophie Grouwels, FAO Forestry Officer and FFF coach for Nepal provided the brief overview of FFF phase II, highlighting the major results of the first phase.

The workshop was successful in identification of priority action under each four outcomes of FFF phase II.