11/08/2025
Chinese Business Actors Strengthened On Sustainable Forest Management Strategies
By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The capacities of representatives of Chinese business actors and institutions in Cameroon have been strengthened in the domain of sustainable forest management strategies.
The deeper and more structured engagement with the Chinese actors and institutions is driven by their growing presence in Cameroon’s forestry and agriculture sector as well as their pivotal role in the global commodity chains.
Bringing the Chinese business operators in the country to talk sustainable forest management in a capacity building workshop in Yaounde on August 6, 2025; was thanks to the joint collaboration of WWF Cameroon; WWF China; the Chinese Academy of Forestry, CAF; and the Forest Stewardship Council, FSC.
Addressing participants that were also made up of representatives of government ministries, international organisations, academia and private sector actors, the Country Director of WWF Cameroon, Alain Bernard Ononino, told the stakeholders that their presence was a commitment to building bridges between nations, institutions, and sectors in pursuit of a shared goal – the sustainable management of natural resources.
He recalled that WWF has worked for more than six decades across over 100 countries, promoting a world where people and nature can thrive in harmony. “Here in the Congo Basin and in Cameroon in particular, WWF has partnered with governments, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, and the private sector to conserve forests, wildlife, and ecosystem services, while ensuring inclusive, equitable development,” Ononino stated.
He added that WWF programmes in Cameroon focus on forest governance, the fight against environmental crimes, protected areas management, sustainable agriculture and empowering communities. He said this is anchored on the belief that long-term conservation is only possible with local ownership and responsible resource use.
Pointing to the visit by the Chinese colleagues, Ononino said it presents a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, share innovations, and build partnerships for sustainable timber trade and forest management.
During the day-long event, discussions centred on strategies for sustainable forest management including opportunities for value addition and local processing of timber products; and FSC certification and recent evolutions in its Ecosystem Services Procedure, which highlights forest contributions beyond timber such as carbon storage, biodiversity, water and air regulation.
Other domains touched also included collaboration with customs authorities addressing the proliferation of illegal wildlife and timber trade; and mechanisms for joint action between WWF China and WWF Cameroon in supporting the Cameroon Government’s commitments to legality and traceability in forest products trade.
Ononino urged the stakeholders to take advantage and network, build relationships, and strengthen South-South cooperation rooted in shared values and mutual gain. He told reporters that with the capacities of identified Chinese economic operators strengthened in sustainable forest management that would foster FSC certification and its accruing benefits; the operators will be more involved in the fight against illegal exportation of wildlife and forest resources.
On his part, the Programme Director of WWF China, Liu Song, told the media that the workshop was just a starting point that matters much. “After this event, the Chinese side will jointly be working with Cameroon to explore opportunities for better collaboration in forest management and biodiversity conservation for a more sustainable future,” Liu promised.
According to the WWF Cameroon Conservation Director, Dr. Ebenezar Asaah, who presented the scope of work they are doing in the country, if the Chinese companies go in for FSC certification, it will add credibility to the timber exported, increase in prices of the product and enhance a better management of forest resources; which shall be a win-win situation.
In a joint presentation, Dr. Asaah and the WWF Forestry Expert, Alphonse Ngniado; spoke elaborately on what WWF has been doing for about 30 years in major protected landscapes of the East, South, and Southwest Regions of Cameroon. The Executive Director of FSC China, Wang Qinghua, amongst others, also presented papers.
