[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1134, 521], "category": "Text", "text": "EU support continues to be relevant. Every single sector in the country has urgent development needs and in the MIP for Liberia, the objective of which is to have a meaningful sustainable impact on the lives of as many Liberians as possible, the EU has chosen to focus on strategically important sectors for Liberia as well as for the EU political agenda. The two TEIs 'Safe and Sustainable Food Systems' and 'Forestry and Biodiversity' reflect these strategic choices and have been undisputed priorities for the EU and the Member States. Both TEIs are essential to deliver on the European Green Agenda, while food systems are also high on the domestic Liberian agenda. Both TEIs have also been identified in the national policy strategy, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD, 2018-2023), and are equally important for the EU's policy agenda, in particular the European Green Deal⁵. Working in tandem, the TEIs aim at boosting Liberia's economic transformation and growth anchored in ecosystem conservation, sustainable forest management, and safe and sustainable food systems development. Both TEIs will also contribute to support Liberian stakeholders to adapt to new requirements of the EU Regulation on the making available on the Union market of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (EU Deforestation Regulation) in as far as this regulation is relevant for the value chains concerned⁶."}, {"bbox": [96, 535, 1134, 670], "category": "Text", "text": "The TEI on Forestry and Biodiversity joins natural resources management and conservation to the opportunity of improving the quality of life and green development for local communities. The Liberian context with its specificities makes Liberia a unique candidate to implement an ambitious and holistic forestry and biodiversity programme centred on its vast natural capital. It hosts remarkable tracts of a very specific type of rainforest, has a low population density, low labour costs and low opportunity cost for investments."}, {"bbox": [96, 681, 1134, 973], "category": "Text", "text": "Following the Liberia country assessment, the European Green Deal, the EU's standing partnership with the African Union⁷, and the COVID-19 crisis causing global (food) supply chain disruptions among others, food systems have emerged as an undeniable intervention priority. The cascading effects of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, with food and oil prices hitting highs globally and major food-producing countries imposing export bans to safeguard their own food security, further exacerbate such disruptions, which equally disrupt regional trade integration efforts⁸,⁹. With Liberia being a highly food-import dependent country (see 2.2), the Liberian authorities are heightening their focus on food self-sufficiency. SSFSs, already at the heart of Liberia's development agenda, have thus taken further centre stage: smart management of the natural environment will help the nation to produce more food; increased value addition and trade in agriculture and fisheries will create meaningful jobs for youth and women as well as generate (public) revenue; domestic consumption of safe and nutritious food will serve a healthy and more resilient society."}, {"bbox": [96, 984, 1134, 1252], "category": "Text", "text": "This Action is the EU's first contribution to the TEI SSFSs, one of two Team Europe flagships in Liberia. It is aligned to relevant EU policies, other programmes and instruments, including the Farm to Fork strategy underpinning the European Green Deal, the EU's standing partnership with the African Union, as well as the EU trade agreements and fair trade policies. By focussing on environment-friendly food systems and tapping into Liberia's green economy potential from farm to fork, it positions the EU to lead the way towards a Global Circular Economy. By emphasising training and decent jobs for youth and women, the interventions also seek to support Liberia's transformation towards an inclusive green economy. Where feasible, the actions of the Erasmus+ programme for Capacity Building in the fields of Higher Education and of Vocational Education and Training will be promoted to strengthen the capacities of the relevant education and training institutions and administrations through international cooperation."}, {"bbox": [96, 1263, 1134, 1394], "category": "Text", "text": "This Action equally creates a unique opportunity for the EU to turn its commitments under the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package on Sustainable Food Systems, notably its ambition to accelerate the sustainable transformation of African food systems in support of Africa's agriculture, fisheries and food development agenda, into a reality. Finally, this Action is also aligned with SDG 2, End hunger, and will contribute to SDGs 5, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17."}, {"bbox": [86, 1450, 287, 1474], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ COM(2019) 640 final."}, {"bbox": [86, 1475, 734, 1499], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-16298-2022-INIT/en/pdf"}, {"bbox": [86, 1499, 1143, 1571], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ Particularly, the EU's intention to support the African Union in its implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the joint Commission-EEAS Communication \"Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa\" (JOIN(2020) 4 final, 09.03.2020)."}, {"bbox": [86, 1572, 874, 1597], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ UN, 2022. Global impact of war in Ukraine on food, energy and finance systems. Brief no. 1."}, {"bbox": [86, 1597, 1143, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ ECOWAS-FAO-WFP, 2022. Assessment of the Risks and Impact of the Russian-Ukrainian Crisis on Food Security in the ECOWAS Region, Key Findings."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 28"}]