LACRA, EU Forest Institute Validate Liberia’s Forest Map

MONROVIA-OCTOBER 23, 2025: The Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), in partnership with the European Forest Institute (EFI), have successfully concluded a pivotal stakeholder session for the official validation of Liberia’s Forest Map. This milestone marks the first critical step in Liberia’s comprehensive strategy to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and protect its vital agricultural exports.

​The validated Forest Map provides a crucial, up-to-date overview of Liberia’s forest sector, offering essential information for forest management and effective land-use planning. The map is a critical aspect of safeguarding Liberia’s environmental landscape while ensuring sustainable economic growth.

The validation meeting was attended by key government functionaries responsible for forestry, land administration, and statistics, underscoring the inter-agency commitment to this national effort.

​LACRA’s Acting Director General, Hon. Dan Saryee, described the validation as the foundational process for implementing the EUDR.

​”The mapping of our forest is a key component in forming a National Traceability System,” said DG Saryee. “This process will help rescue Liberia’s agricultural economy by securing our access to international markets.

Only an established National Traceability System can address the stringent demands of global trade and ensure our commodities are deforestation-free.”

​Hon. Saryee emphasized that the session served to assign roles, giving clear responsibility to the government institutions that will play key roles in the overall traceability framework.

​A major outcome of the meeting was the selection of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to lead the comprehensive mapping process, working in coordination with LACRA.

​Following the validation of the national forest cover, the next phase will be the launch of Farm Mapping as early as November 2025. This intensive exercise will capture the entire commodity supply chain, focusing on recording land size, farmer identity, and the precise geolocation of the plot of land where each commodity—including cocoa, coffee, and palm oil—was produced.

Participants at the stakeholder session today

​Among the key attendees was the Director General of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Richard Ngafuan, signifying the government’s commitment to utilizing accurate data and geo-spatial technology to drive this reform.

​The successful validation of the Forest Map paves the way for a digitized and traceable agricultural value chain, ensuring Liberia’s commodities meet international quality and sustainability standards, thereby maximizing foreign exchange earnings and supporting smallholder farmers.