Land-use & transparency pressing China-Africa forest governance

Working Together to Improve Chinese Sustainable Forest Investment Abroad: GEI co-hosts the third meeting of the "China-Africa Forest Governance Platform"

Diplomats, academics, business professionals and pundits alike have highlighted that Africa's development will be increasingly influential in the coming decades. 
A continent that is wildly diverse in terms of economics, geography, natural resources, culture and government, Africa’s challenges are bested only by its opportunities. 

“It has been showed that Africa’s forests have the potential to help keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees; there are many opportunities for synergies between Africa and China.”-Mr. Gaster Kawuubye, Team leader of Tree Talk Plus (Uganda).

China's Growing Interest in Africa

China has been exploring Africa’s forestry sector aggressively over the past decade through exporting timber and timber processing. 
GEI has reported on Chinese investment in Africa through two main research projects: - One report analyzes Chinese land-use investment in Africa that may have an impact on African forests;- The second report addresses imbalanced timber import and export records that may be a result of a burgeoning illegal timber trade.

As Africa is just beginning to open up its borders, China and Africa have a rare opportunity to implement best business and policy practices early-on.

Third Meeting of the China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform

October 24-25, 2016 - Beijing
The China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform began in 2013 so to have conversations about relevant issues and present solutions before problems arose, thereby paving a path for sustainable development in Africa. Over 100 representatives from twelve countries attended the platform's third meeting; represented countries include the United Kingdom, China, Gabon, Uganda, Cameroon, Congo (DRC), Spain and Mozambique.

“This is the third meeting of the Learning Platform and is an opportunity to further emphasize and advance sustainable development. We are grateful to all the partners for traveling so far for this important meeting.”- Mr. Peng Ren, Program Manager, GEI

Platform Co-hosts and Partners: GEI, Chinese Academy of Forestry-Institute of Forestry Policy and Information (CAF-RIFPI), China’s State Forestry Administration-Centre for International Forest Products Trade (SAF-CINFT); International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED); European Forest Institute-EU FLEGT Facility, GEI and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) China. 

With a focus on sharing and discussion, the platform facilitated several large scale panel discussions, break out sessions and even a nine-small round-robin discussions. Throughout the two days, each attendee had the chance to share their expertise, voice questions, draw from personal experience and work with people from other nations to propose new solutions. 

Two main concerns emerged: 1) Chinese representatives emphasized the need to develop value-added timber processing in Africa with African partners;2) African counterparts stressed means to improve cooperation between Chinese firms and African partners for more sustainable growth. 

The afternoon of the second day took a classroom approach as nine innovative thinkers shared their research and ideas for addressing the development of the China-Africa timber industry.  

Set up like a rotating classroom, participants joined small groups and traveled around the room learning about topics ranging from Chinese CSR matrix, on-the-ground perspectives of Chinese investment in Africa, mapping Chinese forestry investment in Mozambique, and community research for land-use investment in Congo (DRC).

GEI’s Overseas Investment Trade and the Environment Program officer, Jingwei Zhang, was one of these nine teachers and lead her students to explore the role of Chinese NGOs in Africa. 
Entitled “Chinese NGO’s Going Out” Jingwei’s presentation was voted the most “innovative” of the conference and introduced how NGOs can bridge the cultural, communications and policy gaps between Chinese and African partners.

As the two-day workshop came to an end, GEI and all our partners are hopeful that innovative perspectives, like Jingwei’s and the Forest Governance Platform, will lead a charge for a more sustainable Africa, overseas business and world.