By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, October 22, 2026 – The Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) has launched the Sustainable Tree Crops Policy for Inclusive Development in Liberia (STRIDE Liberia) Project to strengthen the country’s cocoa, coffee and oil palm industries through improved policies, sustainable production and increased investment opportunities.
The initiative, implemented by The Nature Compact (TNC) under the Partnerships for Forests (P4F) programme, seeks to promote inclusive, deforestation-free and climate-smart agricultural practices while improving Liberia’s competitiveness in international commodity markets.
The project is supported by UK international development funding through the P4F West Africa programme.
Officially launching the initiative during an inception workshop in Monrovia, LACRA Director-General Christopher Sankolo described the project as timely, particularly as Liberia prepares to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Sankolo said compliance with the regulation is essential to maintaining access to European markets, particularly for Liberia’s cocoa exports.
He disclosed that LACRA has established a national EUDR stakeholders committee and developed a digital traceability platform, known as LACRA Trace, to support farm mapping and monitor agricultural commodity supply chains.
According to him, the Authority plans to pilot the mapping of 7,000 cocoa farms in Bong and Nimba counties as part of efforts to strengthen traceability and demonstrate compliance with international market requirements.
Sankolo said the STRIDE Liberia Project would complement these initiatives by supporting policy reforms, strengthening institutional capacity and encouraging sustainable investment in the tree crops sector.
He added that the project would prioritize the participation of women and young people in agricultural value chains while exploring opportunities to expand Liberia’s coffee industry.
The LACRA Director-General commended STRIDE Liberia Chief Executive Officer Borwen Sayon for spearheading the initiative and promoting collaboration among institutions responsible for agricultural development and commodity regulation.
He reaffirmed LACRA’s commitment to working with development partners, farmers, cooperatives and private-sector stakeholders to improve productivity and strengthen Liberia’s agricultural economy.
Also speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister for Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, Moses Gbanyan, called for stronger coordination between LACRA and the Ministry in collecting and managing agricultural data.
Gbanyan emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive national farmers’ database to improve agricultural planning, extension services and the implementation of development programs.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture already operates an electronic extension service, known as E-Extension, which could support collaboration with LACRA and other stakeholders.
The Deputy Minister expressed the Ministry’s willingness to work with farmers, cooperatives and development partners to ensure the project’s successful implementation.
He stressed that effective coordination between the two institutions would be essential to achieving national agricultural development objectives.
“If LACRA succeeds, MOA has succeeded,” Gbanyan declared.
The workshop brought together representatives of the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA), Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Agriculture, farmers’ organizations, cooperatives and private-sector institutions.
Also attending was Henrietta Asiedu, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Senior Associate for Partnerships for Forests West Africa.
Participants discussed opportunities for strengthening Liberia’s tree crop value chains, improving environmental sustainability and promoting policies that support farmers while protecting forest resources.
The initiative is expected to support Liberia’s efforts to expand agricultural production, improve market access and encourage responsible investment in cocoa, coffee and oil palm.
LACRA reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with relevant government institutions and development partners to ensure that the project’s benefits reach Liberian farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
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