馃嚞馃嚘GabonCentral Africa
Gabon launches national champions program for non-timber forest products
via Gabon Review5 min read
On April 20, Gabon officially launched the "National Champions of Non-Timber Forest Products PFABO" program in Libreville. The initiative, led by the Gabonese Agency for the Development of the Green Economy Agadev and introduced by the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Trade, and SMEs-SMIs, Gninga Chaning Zenaba, aims to diversify the economy by repositioning Gabon's forests as a driver of sustainable growth beyond traditional timber exploitation. The program seeks to transform resources such as oils, resins, wild fruits, medicinal plants, raffia, and Moabi into economic assets through organized collection, local processing, commercialization, and export, creating a value-added economy. Agadev Director General Scyrielle P. Sende Etali highlighted that the program will identify and support high-potential individuals and innovators to become national references for Gabonese expertise in PFABO. Out of ten applications received, only three will receive in-depth support. The limited number of applications raises concerns about information access, program accessibility, and challenges related to formalizing and industrializing activities, despite the abundance of these resources in Gabon. Sende Etali urged entrepreneurs to engage, emphasizing the program as a test for Gabon's economic ecosystem to transform natural potential into sustainable wealth.
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