The events were held in the Upper River, Central River North and North Bank Regions.
The project is funded by the Community-based Sustainable Dry land Forest Management Project. The objective of the fair is to link enterprise groups and service institutions to support development of businesses in the country.
The Natural Resources Consulting (NACO Gambia) has been an implementing partner to Global Environment Facility (GEF) and FAO executed project: community-based sustainable Dry land forest management.
The project seeks to reduce forest degradation in the northern part of The Gambia through the strengthening and expansion of community forest and implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM) practices.
Speaking at the event, Alkali Jarjusey, focal person on GEF Dryland Project, explained that the programme project is funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) through FAO and the three main implementing partners include Department of Forestry, which he added, is the principal implementing partner responsible for tenure transfer from the state to the communities.
The Natural Resources Consulting NACO Gambia, he added, is responsible for supporting the beneficiaries to improve their livelihood through non-timber forest products like beekeeping and ecotourism.
“The third implementing partner is the Agency for the Advancement of Women and Children (ADWAC) based in Kerewan. The role they play in the project is to provide safe cooking stuff to the beneficiary communities in the four regions.”
Ebrima Dem, representative of FAO, reminded that the project is about to phase out in September 2022 and that it was important that the activities planned by NACO Gambia and implementing partners meet and interact with financial institutions to know where they should sell their products and where they should get money for finance or funding to implement their activities.
This collaboration between financial Institutions and stakeholders, he added, is important in view of the fact that it will help them work together to protect and conserve the forest.
For his part, Sheriffo Bojang, president of National Farmer’s Platform The Gambia, described the event as important, adding that the move would no doubt strengthen and foster unity and cooperation among farmers.
