Launching a Community Engagement Programme with APIFED
We’re proud to announce our collaboration with the Cameroonian NGO, APIFED as we jointly launch a community engagement programme that shines a spotlight on the communities surrounding our Sudcam plantation.
APIFED engages with local and indigenous communities in the Djoum region, and will support us in communicating with the Baku and Bantu communities that live in, and depend on, the land surrounding the plantation. Over 30 local communities will be consulted in a programme intended to amplify local voices and develop a framework that incorporates local concerns. The programme will lead to a preliminary report, which will form the group’s action plan to address any communal grievances moving forward.
This community-centric approach follows our decision to cease all further development and land clearing in Cameroon in November 2018, as well as establishing a 25,000-hectare Community Forest that will permanently protect the land and give land rights and benefits to the local communities.
- Robert Meyer, CEO of Halcyon Agri and Corrie MacColl, commented: “Partners like APIFED are vital in helping us to navigate the local sensitivities in areas like Sudcam. Our collaboration with them will encourage local communities to work alongside us to create opportunities for current and future generations. Over the last 18 months, we have effected significant positive change in Cameroon. I’m proud that through our efforts, we have built these kind of community-focused relationships, with local groups dedicated to creating sustainable ecosystems in a fast-developing country.”