The African Great Green Wall Receives a Global Technical Recognition from FAO@80

Rome – 15 October 2025. Since its creation in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has worked towards global food security and sustainable development. As part of the five days of celebrations marking its 80th anniversary, FAO launched a global call for applications to honour the champions who have made an exceptional contribution to sustainable forest management, the transformation of agrifood systems, innovation and good practices, as well as other global processes related to the Organization’s mandate.

Among hundreds of applications from around the world, the African Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative was selected to receive a Global Recognition rewarding best practices and innovative approaches in sustainable forest production and protection.

This recognition reflects the central role played by the GGW in the restoration of degraded landscapes and agro-sylvo-pastoral systems, which are the foundation of resilient and sustainable agrifood systems across the Sahel. The initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares, create 10 million green jobs and sequester 250 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030. The implementation of this programme contributes to all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

On behalf of the GGW and its member countries, Mr Almoustapha Garba, Executive Secretary of the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), who led the delegation, received the award at FAO headquarters in Rome on 15 October 2025. The ceremony was broadcast live worldwide on the United Nations television channel.

This recognition is not only a celebration of past achievements, but also a call to action. It urges all stakeholders to redouble their efforts to ensure the full success of this ambitious African initiative, which stands as a symbol of hope for climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable livelihoods. The member countries and partners greatly appreciated this global award and were encouraged to continue their efforts to ensure the full success and impact of the GGW in the Sahel.

FAO has been a key supporter and technical contributor to the GGW since its launch by the African Union in 2007. Thanks to a new investment of USD 222 million from the Green Climate Fund and the member countries, the “Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall” (SURAGGWA) project is a major FAO initiative aimed at supporting its expansion by scaling up land restoration approaches of proven effectiveness, based on the use of a diversity of local species in order to increase the resilience of livelihoods while sequestering carbon. SURAGGWA is FAO’s first multinational proposal and the largest funding request ever submitted on behalf of its member countries. It builds on the major results achieved by FAO in its support for the implementation of the Great Green Wall, in particular the Action Against Desertification Programme.

Source: AAD Newsletter – November 2025