The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (Iwokrama) has been recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with a Global Technical Recognition award for its work in sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. The award was presented at the FAO awards ceremony in Rome, Italy, on 15th October 2025.
The accolade reflects over 35 years of the Centre’s work in sustainable forest management, covering sustainable livelihoods, research and science, forest business development, conservation, and monitoring.
Iwokrama’s CEO, Dane Gobin, expressed pride in the recognition, saying, “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 added, “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 comes as the Centre undergoes its Annual Forest Certification Surveillance Audit of the Iwokrama Forest.
Dr Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management and Training, highlighted the significance of the award, stating, “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, emphasised the collective nature of the success, saying, “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, added, “This award recognises the diligent work of the Iwokrama team. It is a fantastic team achievement.”
The Centre expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for ongoing support and extended special thanks to FAO for the recognition and to local community partners, including the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), for their unwavering contributions.
