African Forest Forum

African Forest Forum
Name	African Forest Forum
Abbreviation	AFF
Type	Non-profit organization
Founded	2006
Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Region served	Africa
Focus	Forests, trees, livelihoods, climate

African Forest Forum

The African Forest Forum is a pan-African non-profit organization that serves as a platform for scientists, policy-makers, practitioners and institutions working on forests and trees. It links actors across sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa to synthesize evidence for decision-making and to influence policy processes related to forestry, conservation, agriculture, and rural development. The Forum convenes networks of experts and collaborates with international bodies to address issues including restoration, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and human livelihoods.

Overview

The Forum operates as a knowledge brokerage and advisory body connecting researchers, policy-makers and development partners such as Food and Agriculture Organization, World Agroforestry Centre, Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank and International Union for Conservation of Nature. It supports national institutions like Kenya Forestry Research Institute, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, South African National Biodiversity Institute and regional bodies including African Union and Economic Community of West African States to integrate forest science into planning. Through thematic work on forest landscape restoration, climate change mitigation, invasive species, and non-timber forest products, the Forum interfaces with actors from International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, Center for International Forestry Research, Stockholm Environment Institute, CIFOR-ICRAF Partnership and other research consortia.

History and Establishment

The Forum was established following consultations involving the African Union Commission, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, the Global Environment Facility, United Nations Forum on Forests and leading research institutions including Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh and Wageningen University. Early convenings drew expertise from networks such as International Union of Forest Research Organizations, Tropenbos International, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and national agencies like Uganda Forest Research Institute. Its founding responded to regional calls from policy processes like the African Forest Strategy and continental initiatives coordinated by African Ministerial Conference on the Environment.

Organization and Governance

Governing structures include a Council and Secretariat that engage representatives from national research institutions, regional economic communities and intergovernmental organizations. The Secretariat, hosted in Nairobi, collaborates with partners including African Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, International Fund for Agricultural Development and academic partners such as Makerere University, University of Pretoria and Addis Ababa University. Advisory and technical committees draw experts affiliated with institutions like Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Cairo University and global centres such as University of Cambridge and University of California, Berkeley.

Programs and Activities

Programmatic areas address forest landscape restoration, agroforestry, carbon finance, biodiversity conservation, policy analysis and capacity building. Activities include technical workshops with actors from Green Climate Fund, African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, UN-REDD Programme, REDD+ stakeholders, and training courses run in partnership with Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and Southern African Development Community. The Forum issues policy briefs and organizes conferences with participants from World Resources Institute, Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration, Nature Conservancy and BirdLife International, and supports national dialogues engaging ministries such as Ministry of Environment (Kenya), Ministry of Forestry (Ethiopia) and Ministry of Agriculture (Ghana).

Research and Knowledge Management

The Forum synthesizes peer-reviewed research and gray literature from sources like Journal of Ecology, Forest Ecology and Management, Conservation Biology and thematic reports produced by United Nations Forum on Forests. It curates databases, maps and policy briefs integrating datasets from Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute and national forest inventories maintained by agencies such as Sierra Leone Forestry Division and Cameroon Ministry of Forestry. Collaborative research projects have involved universities including University of Nairobi, University of Ibadan, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Zambia, and research partners like International Institute for Environment and Development.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and technical partnerships have included multilateral donors and foundations such as Global Environment Facility, European Commission, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and bilateral agencies like USAID and DFID. Strategic partners include CIFOR, ICRAF, IUCN, FAO and regional entities like African Union Development Agency. The Forum mobilizes grants and project funds to support national studies, capacity building and policy engagement with stakeholders including World Bank Group projects and regional programs by African Development Bank.

Impact and Criticism

The Forum has influenced policy dialogues on restoration targets, landscape approaches and integration of trees in agricultural systems, informing initiatives such as Bonn Challenge, AFR100 and national forest plans. Its convening role has aided cross-border collaboration on transboundary conservation areas like the Greater Virunga Landscape and on invasive species responses involving International Plant Protection Convention frameworks. Criticism has focused on challenges of sustained national uptake, dependence on donor funding, limited engagement with local communities and civil society organizations such as Forest Peoples Programme and Civic Response (CIVICUS) affiliates, and the tension between scientific agendas and traditional knowledge holders represented by groups like Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee. Ongoing debates involve equitable benefit-sharing under climate finance mechanisms and alignment with continental policies led by African Union.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Africa