Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian government, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has committed to a substantial $20.8 million program aimed at combating deforestation and promoting sustainability in the coffee industry. This initiative is supported by additional funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) based in Washington DC.
According to African News Agency, the program, titled ‘Preventing Forest Loss, Promoting Restoration, and Integrating Sustainability into Ethiopia’s Coffee Value Chains and Food Systems,’ will run from 2023 to 2031. It focuses on preventing deforestation, encouraging reforestation, and supporting Ethiopian coffee producers in the market. This project is part of the larger FOLUR initiative (‘Food. Land Use. Restoration’), which encompasses 26 national projects with billions of dollars in public and private investments in major agricultural products, including coffee.