The 2020 ECOTRUST Annual Stakeholders’ event was held virtually on the 21st of December 2020 under the theme “Business Development for Sustainable Forest Management,” focusing on ECOTRUST’s efforts to mobilize financing towards green and inclusive business development across the Budongo – Bugoma landscape for enhancement of forest conservation, community development and restoration of critical wildlife corridors.

The event observed the launch of four new farmer-led business cases from Mitooma and Rubirizi districts supported by the Trees for Global Benefits programme (TGB) to ensure long-term sustainability of forest resources. Investments in green businesses will expand across the Murchison landscape onwards from 2021 under the five-year (2019 – 2024) Mobilizing More for Climate (MoMo4C) Programme, funded by the IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands and implemented in Uganda by ECOTRUST. The programme is expected to improve the health and integrity of Uganda’s forest ecosystem that has been on the decline as a result of extensive forest degradation, mostly attributed to high poverty levels and climate change.

The Stakeholders event also featured expert discussions on sustainable green investment options, virtual tour expeditions of Uganda’s forest landscapes and paid special recognition to ECOTRUST’s best performing districts (2019) under the Trees for Global Benefits programme. TGB achieved a new milestone in mobilizing foreign direct investments in forestry / agro-forestry activities to a tune of UGX 1,742,403,805 (USD 464,641) for small-holder farmers across the Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Mount Elgon landscapes in the year 2019. TGB remains the biggest agro-forestry carbon off-setting project under the Plan Vivo standard, having sequestered 1 million tonnes of C02 in 2018.

The ECOTRUST Annual Stakeholders’ event is held each year to acknowledge and celebrate the organizations accomplishments in conservation. The 2020 event was hosted by the ECOTRUST Board of Trustees and well attended by a national and international audience. Here’s a recording of the proceedings.