LACRA and European Forest Institute host awareness on sustainable cocoa farming in Grand Gedeh
The Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) and the European Forest Institute (EFI) have commenced awareness activities on sustainable cocoa farming with particular emphasis on the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a legislative framework introduced by the European Union to fight global deforestation and forest degradation. It establishes strict obligations for businesses to ensure that their products do not contribute to deforestation, even when such activities are considered legal in the country of origin.
Prior to this awareness, the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) has been leading efforts with responsible government ministries and agencies to brainstorm and come up with a resolution for subsequent submission to the EU as to how Liberia intends to work and implement the EUDR.
Sector Ministries and agencies LACRA is currently working with in drafting a resolution to the European Union on what is Liberia’s position, include the Liberia Land Authority, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI), the Ministry of Agriculture among others.
Liberia is eager to be an implementing partner of the EUDR because according to the EU, starting December 31, 2025, companies doing business in the EU will need to comply with the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The European Forest Institute has been engaging LACRA on what appears to be an alarming rite of deforestation in the Southeast especially in Grand Gedeh County.
There has been growing concerns about the cutting down of forest to plant cocoa, an action which has been largely encouraged by the presence of Burkinabes in Grand Gedeh.
LACRA Board Chair Josephine George Francis at the start of the event encouraged farmers to take the message of the EUDR seriously and avoid cutting down the forest to plant cocoa.
She commended the European Forest Institute for the collaboration with LACRA stating such partnership will go a long way in sensitizing farmers on the EU regulation on Deforestation.
For his part, LACRA Deputy Director General for Finance and Administration Chea Brown Garley who proxy on behalf of DG Christopher Sankolo thanked the participants for gracing the event.
Seward Sohn is a farmer from Tchien District. He believes the European Forest Institute should engage the EU on providing direct financial support to farmers.
“Since these foreigners are encouraging us not to touch our forest or cut down the forest to plant cocoa, they should be willing provide us money to feel our family” he noted.
He also called on LACRA and the Ministry of Agriculture to go beyond cocoa regulation and focus on aquaculture initiatives like establishing fishpond or getting involved with animal husbandry.
Many of the farmers who participated in the workshop blamed lack of awareness on the part of the government.
“If there were sustained radio programs to inform us about the danger of cutting down the forest, we couldn’t have reach this far” they noted
According to unverified statistic ninety percent of farmers are involved with deforestation in Grand Gedeh County largely due to the influx of Burkinabes.
The EU legislation entered into force on 29 June 2023 and was initially scheduled to become applicable on 30 December 2024. However, the EU Parliament and the Council have recently agreed to the Commission’s proposal to delay its application by one year to give companies and authorities more time to better prepare for its implementation. December 31, 2025 is now the new cutoff date.