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Iwokrama Forest recognised by FAO for sustainable forest management Oct 25, 2025 News (Kaieteur News) – The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (Iwokrama) on Friday said that it has been recognized by the Food and Agricultural Organisation’s (FAO) Global Technical Recognition awards for its work in sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation research and practices. Iwokrama was recognised at the FAO awards ceremony in Rome, Italy on October 15, 2025. “This is testament to the Centre’s 35 + years of work in sustainable forest management covering areas such as sustainable livelihoods, research and science, forest business development and conservation and monitoring,” the centre said in a statement. Iwokrama’s CEO, Dane Gobin, noted that “the Centre is proud to have received this accolade for Guyana for its work in sustainable forest management practices and I thank the FAO for this recognition” He continued that “the Centre is considered as one of the leading institutions of its kind in the countries of the Commonwealth where theory and practice of sustainable forest management activities can be explored in one location – the Iwokrama Forest”. “The Centre’s work aligns and supports the Government of Guyana’s innovative Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030”. The recognition is timely as the centre is currently undergoing its Annual Forest Certification Surveillance Audit of the Iwokrama Forest. Dr. Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management and Training also emphasised that “this achievement celebrates decades of impactful capacity building in practical protected area management which includes the recognition of traditional ecological knowledge working together with western styled science to produce the best results for successful forest management” Anne-Marie Ford, Head of the Certification team stated, “This award celebrates not just our achievements, but our dedication to sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation and the collective efforts of our partners including communities who make it all possible”. Kenneth Rodney, Iwokrama’s Forest Manager stated, “This award recognizes the diligent work of the Iwokrama team. It is a fantastic team achievement”. Iwokrama thanked the Government of Guyana for its valuable support. “Special thanks are extended to FAO for this recognition and our local community partners, the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), for their unwavering support and contributions,” the statement concluded. FAO, Iwokrama Forest, Rain Forest Conservation, sustainable forest management
