Australia's Forestry Research Recognised by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

  • Media release

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has formallyacknowledged the contribution of the Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR) to forest conservation in Papua New Guinea.

ACIAR's project Enhancing the Implementation of Community Forestry Approachesin Papua New Guinea wasshowcased at the Buckingham Palace reception on 15 November in London andawarded accreditation under the Queen'sCommonwealth Canopy initiative (QCC).

The QCC is a network of outstanding forest conservation initiatives throughoutthe 52 nations of the Commonwealth. Being awarded QCC accreditation affirmsACIAR as a global leader in agricultural research for development andhighlights the important work undertaken in sustainable community forestry.

Forests cover over 60 per cent of Papua New Guinea, and 97 per cent of theseforests are held under customary community ownership. Through ACIAR, Australiais supporting communities to sustainably manage native forests, grow trees andenhance the Papua New Guinean forestry sector.

Community forestry is delivering economic and social benefits as well asimportant environmental outcomes including the reduction of greenhouse gasemissions and habitat protection.

This Australian Government project is delivered by ACIAR in cooperation withpartners the University of the Sunshine Coast, Papua New Guinea ForestryAssociation, Papua New Guinea Forest Research Institute, Ramu Agri-IndustriesLimited, University of Papua New Guinea, Foundation for People and CommunityDevelopment Incorporated.

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