The 2030 Countdown : Rainforest Alliance, Partners Reshape Congo Basin Land Use

Key stakeholders from across the public sector, private industry, and international development agencies converged in Yaounde on June 30, 2026 for a high-level stakeholder meeting focused on accelerating sustainable land management. And regenerative agriculture across the Congo Basin. Convened by the Rainforest Alliance, the workshop addressed a pressing timeline: the global 2030 sustainability targets, which are now just four years away.

Balancing Growth, Conservation
The central theme of the event, "Partnerships for Living Landscapes and Sustainable, Regenerative Agricultural Value Chains," highlights an evolving paradigm shift in regional development. Rather than traditional logging practices or fragmented conservation efforts, regional leaders are pivoting toward cohesive landscape management.
Debok Nghemning Guy, representing Cameroon’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, emphasized that economic advancement does not have to come at the expense of the environment.
"The goal is precisely to be able to ensure environmental preservation while promoting economic growth and improving the well-being of the people," Guy stated during the proceedings. "We are going beyond logging as it was done in the past, responding directly to the effects of climate change seen in recent years."

Land-Use Planning, Conflicts
A core focus of the meeting was the strategic zoning of land to boost agricultural productivity while actively preventing deforestation. MINEPAT highlighted the development of new land-use planning, LUP tools. Including a dedicated guide to designate certain territories as "Priority Development Zones" in Cameroon.
By directing intensive farming to optimal zones - such as Cameroon's Central Plain - stakeholders aim to relieve environmental pressure on fragile forest ecosystems. This strategy allows forest-adjacent communities to sustainably harvest Non-Timber Forest Products, NTFPs like honey and wild plants. Securing local livelihoods without degrading landscapes. Furthermore, structured land management is seen as an essential mechanism for reducing land-use conflicts among miners, foresters, agriculturalists, and pastoralists sharing the same territory.

2030 Countdown, Investment Challenges
William Mala, Acting Rainforest Alliance Cameroon Co...