Ghana has become the first country in Africa to issue a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) license, placing the country second globally after Indonesia and signalling a significant shift toward legally verified timber exports to European markets.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah announced the milestone, achieved in August 2025, while addressing the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21) in New York this week. The forum, held from May 11 to 15, 2026, reviewed global progress on forest targets and examined strategies for balancing conservation with economic development.
Buah described the FLEGT license as concrete evidence that Ghana is translating international forest commitments into measurable action. “We have also intensified enforcement against illegal logging and mining,” he told delegates, adding that every timber product Ghana now ships to Europe carries independently verifiable proof of its legal and sustainable origin.
The minister said the Mahama administration is pursuing nationwide forest restoration alongside stricter enforcement operations targeting activities that degrade forest reserves and water bodies. He noted that reforms within the timber sector are improving transparency, accountability and international confidence in Ghana’s export credentials.
He presented Ghana’s approach, combining policy reform, enforcement and stakeholder collaboration, as a replicable model for sustainable forest governance across the continent. He said the country remains committed to meeting its United Nations Global Forest Goals while protecting biodiversity and securing long-term economic value from its natural resources.
Ghana’s FLEGT status opens formally verified access to the European Union timber market, where demand for legally sourced wood products has grown significantly alongside stricter due diligence requirements for importing countries.
