ONFI, partner in the forestry cooperation agreement between France and Turkey
The goal of the agreement signed in Ankara on the 17th of April between AFD (financial sponsor), OGM, Turkish general directorate of forestry and ONFI (technical partner, representing the consortium ONF/ONFI) is to assist Turkey in its efforts towards sustainable management of its forest resources, to enhance social and environmental benefits from forests while protecting ecosystems from the risks threatening them.
Backed by a loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) to the Turkish Treasury, the ONF group and its Turkish equal OGM have jointly elaborated an ambitious programme of technical cooperation involving their own experts as well as experts from associated research bodies (notably INRA and IGN from France).
This technical cooperation programme is grounded on two main objectives:
The fight against climate change shall be integrated at the heart of forestry policies both in terms of mitigation and adaptation.
Forestry policies shall take biodiversity and ecosystem services into account.
The cooperation programme, which is scheduled to run for two years, is divided into 12 sub-programmes involving a great number of public and private partners (businesses, forest cooperatives).
ONFI is in charge of the administrative, financial and technical project coordination. ONFI will also contribute with its own experts in some parts of the technical cooperation.
This agreement follows in the footsteps of the first cooperation phase between OGM and ONF/ONFI, which was successfully achieved in 2018.