New FAO forest monitoring solution supports Indigenous Peoples and smallholders
October 25, 2024
Beyond the canopy: Mapping cocoa fields in Cameroon’s agroforestry systems for a deforestation-free cocoa
May 19, 2025Bogotá, 5 May 2025 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), inaugurated the national workshop marking the start of the AIM4Commodities (A4C) project activities in Colombia. The event took place on 22 and 23 April in Bogotá, bringing together nearly 50 participants, including representatives from government agencies, cocoa cooperatives, exporters, and national and international technical partners.
The project aims to strengthen national capacities to improve forest monitoring systems, traceability, and compliance with international regulations, as for example the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). As the only pilot country in Latin America within A4C Colombia plays a key role in this global effort to build transparent and sustainable supply chains.
The inaugural workshop was opened by representatives from GIZ, IDEAM, and FAO, who highlighted the importance of integrating open digital solutions such as Open Foris WHISP and GROUND to support producers, cooperatives, and exporters in generating standardised geospatial data, which is essential to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Sabine Triemer, Project Coordinator of INCAS Global+ in Colombia on behalf of German Cooperation (GIZ), explained: “This project, implemented by FAO, will contribute to building a global digital public infrastructure, as these solutions you will get to know, such as Open Foris WHISP and GROUND, are open-source, interoperable, and have open, transparent, and participatory governance, among other features.”
Raymond Jimenez, Deputy Director of Ecosystems and Environmental Information at IDEAM, emphasised: “We are very interested in being part of this space, identifying opportunities for coordination not only with the project but also with you as the cocoa sector, to understand first-hand the scope of the AIM4Commodities project and thus identify these ties and opportunities for joint work.”
María Alejandra Chaux Echeverri, Senior Specialist in Natural Resources and Governance at FAO Colombia, highlighted: “There is the whole issue of the forest and carbon monitoring system that IDEAM manages, where there is also the need to have clarity on forest and land cover and to use the Open Foris WHISP tool. Various tools have been developed by FAO and have been promoted in the country since last year. .”
On the other hand, Johnny Ariza, Cooperation Officer at the European Union Delegation in Colombia, underlined that cocoa is at the heart of the European Union’s priorities, stating: “We have been supporting peacebuilding in the country for two decades, starting with peace laboratories and, more recently, with the European Fund for Peace, working extensively in areas like Nariño or the Amazon Forest Arc, including Caquetá and Meta. Cocoa has always been part of the initiatives we have supported, which we have called inclusive ‘products for peace’. We are currently working with a value chain approach, incorporating innovative approaches; as we must not only improve how we produce, demonstrating that we do so sustainably, but we must also aim for product quality and market that quality abroad.”
During the workshop, participatory panels were held with cocoa cooperatives and exporters to identify the main bottlenecks in meeting the European Union’s traceability and due diligence requirements, such as farm geolocation, field data collection, and system interoperability. Innovative solutions were also discussed, and concrete steps were defined for 2025–2026.
As part of the project’s launch in the country, the team visited the Nariño region, meeting with cocoa producer organisations such as Corpoteva and Corte Paz. In Meta, technical visits were carried out to the Workakao cooperative, including its nursery and production centre, where the use of new digital tools to improve farm traceability and ensure supply chains aligned with international market demands was discussed.
These field visits provided first-hand insights into the progress and challenges faced by local producers, highlighting the key role of partnerships between governments, cooperation agencies, and private sector actors in achieving an effective transition towards sustainable, forest-positive, and resilient value chains.
Cielo Moreno, a leader from the Corpoteva cooperative, highlighted the tools presented: “I think the tool (Open Foris GROUND) that our colleague presented will be very useful. It will really help us a lot in moving the process forward.”
The AIM4Commodities project, funded by GIZ and implemented by FAO, is part of the global SAFE project, which promotes open-source digital solutions and transparent governance in pilot countries such as Kenya, Viet Nam, Laos, and Colombia. The activities in Colombia are closely aligned with national government efforts, and the country’s international commitments to halt deforestation; therefore, close coordination has been developed with actions carried out under FAO’s Technical Assistance from AIM4Forests and UN-REDD.
- AIM4Commodities project
- Photo albums:
- Start of AIM4Commodities project activities in Colombia: strengthening the traceability and sustainability of cocoa
- FAO Mediabase album
- Visit to the cocoa-growing areas of Nariño Department (Colombia) with the AIM4Commodities project
- Visit to cocoa-growing areas, nursery, and production centre in Meta Department (Colombia) with the AIM4Commodities project
This article was originally published here.
