Frequently Asked Questions (FQAs) during ERPA Stakeholders’ Consultation
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1. What is the criterion for a plantation to be considered as forest?
- According to the Ethiopian forest definition, ‘Forest land covering 0.5 and above hectares with trees 2 meters or above height and 20% canopy cover is considered as forest.
2. What is the procedure by which Forest Cooperatives are established under OFLP intervention?
- On the base of due consultation and willingness of the local people, cooperatives will be established in accordance with the legal procedure stated in the federal and regional proclamations: Proc. 985/2016 https://www.lawethiopia.com/images/federal_proclamation/procl amations_by_number/985.pdf Proc. 218/2019. https://www.caffeeoromiyaa.org/images/Labsii/Labsii_Bara_2011/Labsii%20Lakk. 218%20%20bara%202011.pdf
3. What/how does OFLP do to support the Green Legacy initiative?
- OFLP supports the Green Legacy initiative by providing seedlings and geo-referencing the
sites so that they could be accounted for emission reduction payment.
4. What is the legal ground to implement OFLP result-based emission reduction payments?
- A legal agreement has been signed between the Government of Ethiopia and World Bank (Trustee of ISFL). Also, international agreements such as the Paris UN treaty on climate change provide adequate legal ground for Carbon payment : https://unfccc.int/process-and- meetings/the-paris-agreement
5. Can individuals engaged in forest development claim to OFLP result based emission reduction payments?
- Only CBOs and licensed private forest developers are legitimate and hence can claim for OFLP result-based emission reduction payment.
6. Why does OFLP demand coffee trees to be separated from natural forest?
- It is because Coffee plantation in natural forest is one of the causes of forest degradation.
7. Are all farmers who have 0.5 and above hectare forest eligible for result based emission reduction payments?
- Not all farmers are eligible, but only licensed private forest developers and cooperatives.
8. Can cooperatives organized by other initiatives such as NGOs be incorporated in the OFLP benefit sharing?
- Yes, as long as they fulfill the criterion stated in OFLP benefit sharing plan. Hence, according to the benefit sharing plan, communities those who:
. live within the boundaries of kebele
. engage in development and management of forest either legally or customarily
. have customary and constitutional right of ownership,
. cultural and social responsibility of managing, protecting and developing the forest
. customary use right and/or legally granted user right are eligible for the benefit sharing
9. Does OFLP give priority to protecting natural forest or developing new ones?
- The priority of OFLP is to protect the existing forest resources. However, it also supports additional Afforestation/Reforestation activities.
10. Why OFLP does not encourage planting of indigenous trees more?
- OFLP encourages indigenous trees plantation, but in most cases it depends on interest of the local community that matters.
11. OFLP is promoting forest protection. However, it is going to trade on Carbon. Isn’t it a contradiction?
- Not really, as Carbon trade is just a mechanism to incentivize emission reduction activities including forest protection.
12. What does Benefit Sharing mean?
- It is the monetary and non-monetary benefit shared to eligible individuals and community groups who have done activities that contribute to emission reduction.
13. Who are eligible for Benefit-sharing? What is the criterion?
- Community living in and around Forests, Government (Federal and Regional) and licensed Private Forest developers are eligible.
14. When does carbon payment start?
- The Emission Reduction Purchase agreement (ERPA) has already been signed between Ethiopia and the World Bank. Its implementation and payments will start after third party verification of the emission reduction.
15. The government is trying to expand agriculture. On the other hand, OFLP is saying that forest should be protected. How can these two stances be reconciled?
- Above all this issue is governed by land use plan. Areas identified for forest should not be used for other purposes. Hence, Government’s agricultural expansion could be made to irrigable areas, not forest areas.
16. Can Eucalyptus tree be considered as forest? Are people who have planted Eucalyptus trees eligible for carbon payment?
- If it fulfills the forest definition of the country, it can be considered as forest, but individual farmer who plant would not be eligible for payment.
17. Why is livelihood grant released through the government’s financial line? Why is it not directly released to cooperatives’ account?
- Most of the cooperatives are newly established and young. Hence, they might not have adequate capacity to manage the grant. Further capacity building is needed.
18. Who is responsible to control the financial management of cooperatives after the carbon payment?
- The cooperatives are legalized entities that can manage the grants they have received. Also, the Cooperative Promotion Agency will provide technical support.
19. What sort of trees should cooperatives/individuals plant to get the payments?
- Result-based payments do not depend on the type of trees planted. Rather, it depends whether the required criteria are fulfilled.
20. How will the money obtained from ERPA be shared among groups/individuals?
- It will be shared among eligible groups (community 75%, Government 20% and individual forest developers 5%) according to the agreed benefit sharing plan.
21. Who did establish the percentage of the share?
- The amount of share/quota of the benefit was decided on the base of due consultation with the community and stakeholders. National and international practices have also been considered to develop the Benefit Sharing Mechanism.
22. Does the Benefit-sharing plan include the forest areas under the concession of the Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise?
- Yes, as long as the emission reduction activities conducted there fulfill the requirements.