Iwokrama Centre wins FAO award for sustainable forest management

The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development has received a Global Technical Recognition Award from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for its work in sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. The award was presented at a ceremony in Rome, Italy, on October 15, 2025.
The recognition highlights more than 35 years of Iwokrama’s efforts in sustainable livelihoods, research, forest business development, and environmental monitoring, a release said.
Iwokrama’s Chief Executive Officer Dane Gobin said the centre is proud to have received this accolade for Guyana for its work in sustainable forest management practices.
“I thank the FAO for this recognition. 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 supports the Government of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and the award coincides with Iwokrama’s Annual Forest Certification Surveillance Audit of the Iwokrama Forest.
Dr. Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management and Training, said the 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.
According to Anne-Marie Ford, Head of the Certification Team, the award to Iwokrama “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.”
The centre expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for its continued support, the FAO for the recognition, and its local partners, the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), for their ongoing contributions.