Sir James Mitchell brings sustainable forestry investors to President Jagdeo

Former St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell renewed his acquaintance with President Bharrat Jagdeo during a courtesy visit today. He was accompanied by a team of investors in sustainable forestry, interested in Guyana. The team from the F.T.I Timber Growth Fund Limited, a European based company operating in the Roraima state of Brazil included, Board Chairman Marcus Valentine and Operations Consultant John Edwards among others.
The company maintains reputable standards of internationally certified sustainable forestry practices and has been a licenced operator in St Vincent and the Grenadines for about 10 years.  It operates on a concession of several hundred thousand acres in Roraima, and has submitted an application for a licence in Guyana.

Sir Mitchell explained that he is fully cognizant of Guyana’s forest protection policy and the national scale forest payments scheme which it sealed with Norway that earned the country US$70M.  Sustainable forest management is at the centre of a development path Guyana has taken to build and expand on the economic and social reforms achieved over the past two decades while aiding in the fight against climate change.  The strategy evolved out of President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Initiative on Avoided Deforestation that was launched in December 2008.

The strategy is based on the premise that Guyana can deploy its rain-forest strategically to combat climate change, without affecting national development or its sovereignty over the forests, it is imperative that Guyana join the global efforts to avoid climate catastrophe.
Sir Mitchell was the second Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines and, in 1994 was elected to his third and final term as Prime Minister of the Island.  In 1985, Sir James was appointed a member of her Majesty Privy Council for “his professional approach to government leadership.”