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You are here: Home1 / Ghana news2 / Ghana’s forest management makes strides through Social Responsibility A...

Ghana’s forest management makes strides through Social Responsibility Agreements

14 December 2020

In Ghana, traditional customs and practices – such as ‘taboo’ days when no one enters the forest – have helped to protect forests through the ages. But these practices have not always been respected, with some timber companies logging in areas adjacent to communities even on sacred days.

Communities have reported seeing a change for the better with Ghana’s implementation of binding contracts between timber companies and local communities, known as Social Responsibility Agreements (SRAs). These agreements oblige companies to agree on a range of issues including compensation and observance of cultural norms with communities ahead of logging activities.

Stephen Kwame Paddy, Chain of Custody manager at Logs and Lumber Limited.
Stephen Kwame Paddy, Chain of Custody manager at Logs and Lumber Limited. Source: Logs and Lumber Limited

Companies have also begun to see advantages in building a positive relationship with communities living in the areas where they operate. “We realised that the more we engaged with communities, the easier our work became,” said Stephen Kwame Paddy, Chain of Custody manager at Logs and Lumber Limited, one of Ghana’s biggest timber companies. “We started to understand their frustrations and their needs… this made our work easier.”

The adoptions of SRAs was in part driven by Ghana’s implementation of its Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union. As part of the Agreement, Ghana started paying added attention to the implementation of laws and regulations applicable to forest operations, including those focusing on SRAs.

Tags: community, forest management, MSME
https://flegtvpafacility.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/stepeh-kwame-paddy-chain-custody-manager-ghana.jpg 628 1200 Albert Garduno https://flegtvpafacility.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/VPA-Africa-Latin-America-svg-logo.svg Albert Garduno2020-12-14 07:38:002022-05-23 07:43:47Ghana’s forest management makes strides through Social Responsibility Agreements
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About the VPA Africa – Latin America Facility

The VPA Africa – Latin America Facility supports the implementation of the EU FLEGT Action Plan with a focus on Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs). The Facility contributes to combating illegal logging and strengthening forest governance while encouraging sustainable economic development in countries that produce or process timber and export to the EU. The Facility is hosted by the European Forest Institute (EFI) and was established in November 2019.

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This website has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

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Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. Credit information: European Forest Institute, www.efi.int
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