ERAIFT's Board of Directors met on 10 May 2024 and elected its new President, Mr Camille Paluku. ERAIFT congratulates the new President of the Board for his election and wishes him a successful term of office.

ERAIFT thanks the outgoing Chairman of the Board, Professor Jan Bogaert, for his availability and support during his presidency.

ERAIFT thanks the European Union and AGRINATURA for their support.

From 15 to 17 May, the ERAIFT Director will participate in the international symposium of category 2 centres under the auspices of UNESCO in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This international event, dedicated to advancing collaboration focused on sustainable development and science, provides an opportunity to coordinate and strengthen collaboration between UNESCO category 2 centres. It fosters the exchange of knowledge and promotes common goals and inspires collective action.

Several current topics in the environment and science field will be addressed by the participants, including: (1) Research, education and capacity building in water sciences, (2) Hubs for sustainability: UNESCO-designated sites and networks, (3) Open science, (4) Water and disaster risk reduction, (5) Managing global crises: Climate change and biodiversity, (6) Enhancing engineering capacity building for the SDGs, (7) The role of basic sciences in advancing emerging technologies and disruptive innovations, (8) Intersection of science and policy: transformative progress.

ERAIFT expresses its sincere gratitude to UNESCO for being associated to this important international event, which is very important for the visibility of its actions in the domains of research-action, training of African managers and support to society. It is also grateful to the European Union for its support.

On 3 May 2024, Professor Baudouin Michel, Director of ERAIFT and Rector of IFA-Yangambi, chaired the Management Board of the Pendjari Park (Benin), which he has chaired since 2017.

This Management Board meeting was held in a consensual and inclusive climate, with rich and intense debates highlighting the remarkable work carried out by the Project Management Unit and the Beninese Armed Forces on the ground.

The Management Board President thanks the President of the Republic of Benin, His Excellency Mr Patrice Talon, and the African Parks Network for their trust and support.

On 3 May 2024, Professor Baudouin Michel, Director of ERAIFT and Rector of IFA-Yangambi, chaired the Management Board of the Pendjari Park (Benin), which he has chaired since 2017.

This Management Board meeting was held in a consensual and inclusive climate, with rich and intense debates highlighting the remarkable work carried out by the Project Management Unit and the Beninese Armed Forces on the ground.

The Management Board President thanks the President of the Republic of Benin, His Excellency Mr Patrice Talon, and the African Parks Network for their trust and support.

On Sunday 28 April 2024, the Director of ERAIFT, Professor Baudouin MICHEL, visited Kipushi, 6 years  after the end of the project , the AFODEK agroforestry project funded by the European Union and implemented by GRET and Nature+ came to an end. In 2014, the Director of ERAIFT carried out a mission to support this project on behalf of ERAIFT and Nature+.

This Monday 29 April 2024, the Director also visited GOCONGO's installations in Lumbumbashi and GOCONGO's farm on the road to Kasenga as part of the VCA4D ‘Cassava’ mission.

ERAIFT thanks Nature+ and GOCONGO for their warm welcome and assistance during its mission. ERAIFT would also like to thank AGRINATURA, the European Union and NRI-Greenwich University for their support.