© FAO/Petterik Wiggers
The Addis Action Roadmap for Sustainable Forests and Agriculture (From vision to action: Roadmap for sustainable forests and agriculture in Africa) was adopted earlier this year by representatives of 10 African countries, with its official publication launched last month.
Together, these countries cover 7% of the world's forests and 43% of Africa's forests (FAO, 2025).
This is not the conclusion of a process; rather, this is a milestone representing the beginning of a country-led process for its implementation. The participating countries, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are now entering a new phase: translating regional ambition into concrete national action.
Building on the outcomes and country requests from the regional exchange held from 24 to 27 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, countries across Africa will be engaging in a series of follow-up discussions with FAO, the UN-REDD Programme, the Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative (ASCI), and other key partners to define how the roadmap can be effectively operationalized within their national contexts.
From regional roadmap to national pathways: country-led and cross-sectoral model
Central to this next phase is a shared objective: to move from a common regional vision toward country-led national implementation strategies that reflect national priorities, institutional structures, existing initiatives, environmental context, and on-the-ground realities.
To support this process, discussions with participating governments are ongoing to tailor the Addis Action Roadmap to country specific context, embedding existing policy and coordination mechanisms. The design of national-level processes is ongoing, including dedicated in-country workshops that will bring together stakeholders from agriculture, forestry, the environment, and beyond.
These national pathways are expected to play a key role in:
- Identifying and strengthening key country platforms, taking a cross-sectoral and multistakeholder approach;
- developing a national action plan, aligned with existing strategies, including REDD+, land-use, agriculture, and national development plans;
- identifying key country teams for implementation, and thereby to
- strengthen cross-sectoral coordination and driving change.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, countries will define tailored implementation pathways, ensuring the roadmap serves as a practical and flexible tool for advancing forest- and food systems- positive systems and local ownership.
Contributing to global coordinated action
Insights emerging from the African regional exchange and its follow-up processes are central also for their potential contributions into broader global efforts. Together with similar regional roadmaps that are under discussion in Latin America and Asia Pacific Lessons learned can, for example, inform the COP 30 Presidency Roadmap for Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030 or future COP negotiations and preparatory discussions.
By connecting these country-led, inclusive regional roadmaps, the process could help distill practical recommendations, shared priorities, and regional differences, that can drive the change for scaling up solutions for decoupling agricultural supply chains from deforestation, supporting countries and partners worldwide in advancing integrated approaches and enhancing global knowledge-sharing and peer to peer learning.
© FAO/Gaia Kouki
"Proud to contribute to driving Africa’s Addis Action Roadmap as a catalyst for transformative change. I believe that strengthening collaboration between agriculture and forestry and empowering farmers with better incentives and secure land tenure is essential for advancing climate-smart cocoa and resilient, forest-positive landscapes. The Roadmap is a key tool to drive country-led change and connect initiatives into coherent action" said Thomas Gyambrah, Manager of REDD+ Programs and Climate Change, Forestry Commission - Ghana
In line with this thought, Abraham Baffle, Proforest and African Regional Director on ASCI shared during the Addis Regional exchange:
© FAO/Gaia Kouki
"Economic and environmental priorities must go hand in hand—because when we neglect the environment, we ultimately undermine productivity itself. That’s why coming together is essential. If we want to go far, we must go together. The Addis Action Roadmap provides a powerful, country-led tool to align our efforts, highlight key solutions, and drive coordinated, systemic change across Africa. Through shared learning and collective action, we can scale impact and deliver lasting results. ASCI is committed to working with African countries and FAO to implement and scale up national actions under the Roadmap—together."
Looking ahead
As countries move forward with national-level planning and stakeholder engagement, the Addis Action Roadmap is evolving from a shared vision into a dynamic framework for action through strengthened coordination, targeted investments, and continued collaboration across sectors and regions.
References
- FAO. 2026. From vision to action – Roadmap for sustainable forests and agriculture in Africa (Addis Action Roadmap). Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd9496en
- FAO. 2025. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd6709en
