Yaounde, Cameroon (16 October 2013) – The 2nd Africa Palm Oil Forum – an international summit opens Thursday in Libreville, Gabon, to seek solutions to the brewing threats hovering over decades of conservation efforts in Africa.

WWF has been invited by the Centre for Management Technology and the government of Gabon to participate in this African event that comes weeks after the world hosted its first Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil summit in Berlin, Germany, to raise awareness on best practices to its production and supply chains.

WWF Palm Oil Coordinator for Central Africa region Ludovic II Miaro will deliver a key presentation Thursday on WWF’s role and what stakeholders can learn so they may develop the African palm oil sector.

Global price hikes for palm oil products and the shortage of land in the main exporting countries of Malaysia and Indonesia are forcing giant palm oil companies to invest in Africa.

Some 115 million hectares or two thirds of the Congo Basin forest area is believed to have the appropriate soil and climate for cultivating oil palms, and the palm oil industry predicts a global production of 70 million tons of palm oil by 2020.

WWF seeks a collaborative strategy with stakeholders for a common economic growth through a sustainable development of oil palm plantations and conservation goal.

The need for collaboration…

For more, please donwload the WWF Press Release : Gabon hosts 2nd Africa Palm Oil Forum: WWF engages stakeholders for a collaborative strategy

For more Information, please contact : E-mail: WWF CARPO Communications Unit carpo-comms@wwfcarpo.org