STAKEHOLDERS TRAINED ON LAND, NATURAL RESOURCES GOVERNANCE

Abdoulie G. Dibba The National Coordinating Committee (NCC) of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forestry concluded a two day leadership training in Farafenni, Illiassa District of the North Bank Region of the Gambia from the 21st to the 22nd of February 2015.According to the organisers, the land, fisheries, forest and other natural resources, which provide a platform for livelihoods and a basis for social, cultural and religious practices, are now under increasing pressure as cultivation areas are being occupied by urban expansion and people are also abandoning areas because of degradation, climate change and wildlife intrusion. It is in this regard that the FAO, together with its partners, initiated the preparation of internationally accepted guidelines to enhance governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests called the “Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of National Food Security. The Guidelines, which were officially endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security on 11 May 2012, seek to promote secured tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment. Alhagi Basse Mboge, the Chairperson of the NCC, said the Voluntary Guidelines are being implemented in four countries namely Senegal, Guinea, Mali and the Gambia with funding from the Network of Farmers’ Organisations in West Africa. Muhammadou Fayinkeh, the NCC Coordinator, said the leadership training is part of a series of activities to be implemented in the project and is meant to raise the awareness of farmers and fisherfolk and forest management organisations, law makers, civil society, administrators of land, fisheries and forests on the Voluntary Guidelines. In his opening statement, the Chief of Illiassa Ebrima Jammeh thanked the Committee, Farmers’ Platform and NACOFOG for complimenting Government’s efforts in ensuring food security in the Gambia. He also called on the farmers’ organisations as well as agricultural projects to focus on markets for the agricultural produce to reduce the high rate of post-harvest loses encountered by farmers, particularly vegetables farmers. After the opening, two presentations were made on the interdependence of crop farming, livestock, fisheries and forests and also on the land laws in the Gambia. ]]>