On 10 November, co-operators met in an interactive workshop in Antalya, Turkey to discuss their engagement in the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT).
The VGGT can help co-operatives protect their ownership and access rights to natural resources necessary to their success. Because the Guidelines are currently being implemented by governments and non-state actors, the workshop provided an important opportunity to learn about the VGGT and their implications for co-operatives, as well as spark valuable discussion on what co-operatives need to engage in the implementation process.
During the workshop, participants discussed their challenges to tenure, such as political and military conflict, distribution of resources and culture, as well as how the unique identity and positioning of co-operatives could impact implementation of the VGGT. Participants also agreed that awareness raising and training at the co-operative, community and regional levels were needed to further engage in the process.
Participants came from 18 countries from all four regions and represented a variety of primary and apex co-operatives.
The Alliance hosted the workshop in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Learn more about the VGGT and the Alliance’s work on the VGGT.
