Ghana is intensifying efforts to attract European investment and technological support to accelerate the implementation of its long-term forest plantation programme, as the country positions itself as a reliable source of legally verified timber for the European market.
The Manager of Plantations Investment and Extension at the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwame Agyei, disclosed that while Ghana has made significant progress under its 25-year Forest Plantation Strategy (2016–2040), the success of the next phase will largely depend on foreign investment and technology partnerships capable of meeting rising timber demand and stringent European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements.
Mr Agyei made the remarks during a panel discussion on “Potential EU-Ghana Collaboration in Forest-Based Industry” at the EU-Ghana Timber Trade and Investment Forum, organised on the sidelines of the Carrefour International du Bois exhibition in Nantes, France.
Addressing investors and industry stakeholders, he outlined Ghana’s progress a decade into the implementation of the national plantation strategy, which seeks to boost commercial timber production, restore degraded forest landscapes and expand private sector participation in the forestry sector.
According to him, the strategy was designed to increase national timber supply through commercial plantations in order to reduce pressure on natural forests, restore degraded lands to support Ghana’s climate commitments, and attract private investors and local communities through out-grower schemes and joint-venture arrangements.
Mr Agyei indicated that the Forestry Commission is increasingly repositioning itself from a regulatory institution to an investment facilitation agency, creating an enabling environment for local and foreign investors interested in plantation forestry.
The shift, he noted, complements Ghana’s recent achievement of becoming a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Licensing country on October 8, 2025, a milestone that guarantees timber exports to the European Union are sourced legally and comply with international standards.
He, however, acknowledged that significant challenges remain.
One of the major hurdles, according to Mr Agyei, is access to finance. He explained that commercial timber plantations typically require between 15 and 25 years before yielding returns, making them less attractive to conventional financial institutions seeking shorter-term profits.
“The sector requires patient capital—long-term and affordable financing that aligns with the biological growth cycle of timber plantations,” he told participants.
Another concern raised was the availability of quality planting materials.
Mr Agyei noted that expanding plantation development will require large volumes of genetically improved seedlings capable of delivering predictable growth and productivity. Inconsistent seedling supply, he warned, undermines investor confidence and affects expected yields.
With the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation now fully operational, he said buyers increasingly demand traceable and verifiable information regarding the origin, legality and growth history of timber products.
To address this challenge, Ghana is seeking collaboration with European partners in the area of Smart Forestry technologies, including remote sensing systems and digital monitoring tools capable of generating reliable records that satisfy EUDR due diligence requirements.
The Forestry Commission official further stressed that community participation remains central to the success of the Forest Plantation Strategy.
He explained that the programme depends heavily on out-grower arrangements and partnerships with local communities, making transparent land tenure systems and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms critical to implementation.
Outlining Ghana’s expectations from prospective European partners, Mr Agyei highlighted two priority areas.
The first is direct investment into plantation development through private commercial plantations, smallholder out-grower schemes and public-private joint ventures.
The second is the transfer of technical expertise and innovation in plantation management, yield forecasting and digital monitoring systems.
“We have FLEGT legality, Lesser Known Timber Species and new plantation wood coming. To deliver it reliably to the EU, we need investment and Smart Forestry tools,” he stated.
His comments come at a time when demand for legally sourced timber is increasing globally, while natural forest resources continue to face restrictions under evolving environmental regulations.
Data presented at the forum showed that the European Union imported approximately €26 million worth of value-added wood products from Ghana in 2024, underscoring the significance of the market to Ghana’s forestry sector.
With supplies from natural forests expected to tighten under the EUDR framework, Mr Agyei argued that Ghana’s future timber security and export competitiveness will increasingly depend on the success of its plantation development agenda.
