Strategic Forestry Agenda of Mozambique 2019-2035 and National Forestry Programme.

The Strategic Forestry Agenda of Mozambique 2019-2035 and the National Forestry Programme is the result of the efforts of the technical team of the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development through the National Directorate of Forests, which brought together the participation of more than 250 representatives of civil society organizations, the private sector, academic and governmental institutions involved in the different thematic working groups. The groups actively contributed to the formulation of a strategic framework guiding the long-term development of Mozambican forests reflecting development aspirations and objectives for the period 2019-2035. This reflection on the forestry sector and the formulation of future development is based on the following approaches: 1. Communities first; 2. Sustainable use of the resource and multisectoral integration for an integrated development with low greenhouse gas emissions; 3. A holistic view of the forests and its multiple goods, services and integration between the various stages of the forestry sector's value chains. 4. Good governance: the work is part of the MOZFIP project, and special mention is made of IIED, FAO and the World Bank for their support in formulating the methodology, documentation and general guidance of this document, which will serve as a guiding framework for forestry professionals and all those who directly and indirectly deal with forests.
The National Forestry Programme 2019-2035 is an exercise in reflection and participation of the different actors in the analysis of the main problems and in the construction of a shared vision of long-term development. Special attention was given to the inclusion of the so-called “secondary” themes of the forestry sector, such as firewood and charcoal, non-timber forest products and conservation areas in a holistic and multi-comprehensive approach to forests.
The Programme is structured in five chapters: Chapter 1 refers to the contextualization of the process, the general description of Mozambican forests, highlighting the importance of forests for the livelihood of rural populations; Chapter 2 presents the main findings derived from the supporting studies, which emphasize deforestation and the identification of vulnerable districts and the need to plant to supply the growing demand for forest products; Chapter 3 deals with the potential of the sector, the financing options and the challenges of the 2019-2035 agenda; Chapter 4 presents the national forestry programme, approaches and their relationship to forestry policy and Chapter 5 deals with implementation, monitoring and main risks impeding the success of the programme.
The National Forestry Programme is considered a generic term for the process of formulating a comprehensive policy framework for the forestry sector that contemplates different approaches to achieving sustainable forest management. It involves the formulation of policies, strategies, action plans, their implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in an interactive, long-term participatory process to incorporate emerging needs and issues (FAO, 2012).