The WIBEX team travelled for a full week to Liberia. The country, which has been taken over by President Georges Weah, wants to enhance the traceability over the forest management. WIBEX has thus positioned itself to potentially meet this local demand.
More than twenty years after the end of the civil war, Liberia is gradually recovering and trying to heal its wounds. Former football star Georges Weah took over the reins of the country in 2018, plagued by corruption for years. His objectives have been clear since he came to power: to return to growth and put an end to an almost generalised system of corruption in many sectors.
As a major exotic wood exporting country, this resource is vital to the local economy. However, it has been insufficiently monitored in recent years, leading to much damage (deforestation, illegal logging, etc.) both to the forests and to the country’s finances. But things should change: Liberia now wants to regain control over production and exports in order to better manage financial resources.
We therefore spent a week in Liberia. We engaged in numerous discussions with representatives of the forestry sector and the French embassy.
Wibex ensures traceability, certification and societal development
For nearly three years, Wibex has been developing a solution that would be in line with the wishes and expectations of countries such as Liberia. The system is designed to involve local communities, create jobs and develop modern plantation methods such as agroforestry.
Wibex proposes a three-point solution:
- Agroforestry programs covering an area up to 40,000 acres;
- Evaluation of sequestered carbon in conservation forests;
- Implementation of an interface between the chain of custody for logging and the WIBEX exchange platform.
The solution will be presented to European and international donors. For Liberia, it’s therefore a question of regaining control over the exploitation of forestry data in the country but also of concretising its desire to comfort its status as a transparent producer and exporter that respects international standards. In addition, Wibex also proposes regular verification of forest preservation with international organizations (Gold Standard, UN) for example, in order to evaluate carbon sinks within the framework of the REDD+ program.
For Wibex, this is also an opportunity to showcase its know-how and develop its activities in Africa. Other countries are also interested in such an approach, which is therefore eco-responsible, transparent and beneficial to all.