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MONROVIA, Liberia – September 6, 2026: Andrew Y.Y. Zelemen, a representative of Liberia’s forest and farm producer organizations, has departed the country for Bolivia to participate in the 2026 Global Conference of the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF).
The conference is scheduled for September 9–13 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and will bring together representatives of forest and farm producer organizations, indigenous peoples, local communities, development partners, and other stakeholders from participating countries.
Zelemen was selected to represent Liberia’s Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) at the global gathering, following his involvement in implementing FFF-supported activities in Liberia.
Since 2022, Zelemen has led the project management team of the National Union of Community Forest Development Committees (NUCFDCs), overseeing the implementation of three successive Letters of Agreement with the FFF and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under Phase II of the initiative.
The FFF is a global partnership involving FAO, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and AgriCord. The facility is supported by several donors, including Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands and IKEA.
The 2026 conference will review results from the second phase of the FFF and discuss priorities for Phase III. Participants are expected to exchange experiences on producer-led approaches to improving livelihoods, strengthening forest landscapes and transforming food systems.
The conference is being held under the theme, “Scaling what works: Producer-led solutions for improved livelihoods & forest landscapes.” Its slogan focuses on strengthening organizations of family farmers, indigenous peoples and local communities to contribute to productive forests and food systems transformation.
Bolivia was selected to host the conference by FFF stakeholders and representatives from 15 participating countries, including Liberia, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal and Vietnam.
During his visit, Zelemen is also expected to engage in bilateral discussions with representatives of forest and farm producer organizations and other leaders in the global rural development movement.
Among the planned engagements are discussions with the Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) on approaches to sustaining producer organizations.
He is also expected to meet Esther Penunia, Secretary General of the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA), to exchange experiences on strengthening regional farmer organizations and explore opportunities for collaboration in West Africa.
Another planned engagement is with Alberto Broch, President of the Confederation of Family Producer Organizations of Mercosur (COPROFAM) and Vice President of the World Rural Forum (WRF), to discuss opportunities for strengthening rural community networks and producer organizations.
Speaking ahead of his departure, Zelemen said his participation would provide an opportunity to advance the interests of Liberia’s forest and farm producer organizations.
“This opportunity allows us to advance the interests of Liberia’s forest and farm producer organizations, build stronger climate resilience, and promote sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
The conference is expected to provide participating producer organizations with an opportunity to share experiences, identify areas for cooperation and discuss strategies for scaling approaches that have demonstrated results in forest management, climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
