The EU has contributed an additional €25 million to the Food and Agricultural Organization’s Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWP) programme, with the funds set to benefit African biodiversity over the next six years.
Rome-based FAO launched the SWP in 2017, and the EU contribution – following on from its initial €45-mln donation at the start – will boost plans to extend and scale the programme, the UN agency said in a press release Thursday.
The EU funds will be part of NaturAfrica, a new EU initiative for biodiversity conservation in Africa, according to FAO.
While the food agency will lead the programme, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) will also be involved.
“The SWM Programme has a significant contribution to make as we work towards a sustainable and food-secure world for all,” said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO deputy director-general at FAO.
The programme will contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework goals through targeted approaches to conserve wild animals and protect ecosystems, while also promoting safe food across wild and domestic meat value chains.
“Building scalable new models to conserve wildlife and improve food security takes time,” Marjeta Jager, deputy director-general at the European Commission’s DG for International Partnerships, said.
“We need to further develop the models tested by the SWM programme and to disseminate and scale up the Programme’s findings, results and approaches to achieve greater impacts. For this reason, the European Union seeks to provide additional funding to continue the SWM programme until June 2029.”
While the latest EU contribution will be targeting Africa, the SWP is also working in the Caribbean and the Pacific, including over 80 local and Indigenous communities in 16 countries.
“Many rural populations around the world continue to rely on wildlife for food, income, and their cultural identity. Wild meat is an important source of protein, fat, and micronutrients. However, the increasing demand for wild meat, especially in urban areas, is threatening wildlife populations, ecosystem balance, and food security of indigenous and rural communities in tropical and subtropical regions,” FAO said.
“The SWM programme aims to improve the sustainable and legal use of wild animal populations through participatory management of hunting, fishing, and wildlife. It also works on reducing urban consumption of wild meat from unsustainable sources by encouraging healthy and sustainable livestock, poultry, and fish farming value chains.”
news@carbon-pulse.com
*** Click here to sign up to our weekly biodiversity newsletter ***
