The VPA Process in Ghana

Forests are rapidly disappearing in Ghana: expansion of agriculture, infrastructure development, commercial logging for export (partly legal) and logging for the internal market (largely illegal). Forests also provide sources of subsistence to communities living in and around forests as well as micro-business opportunities that the forest offers (firewood, poles, NTFPs, etc.). Commercial scale resource exploitation results in employment and in commitments to forest communities such as social responsibility agreements (SRA) which companies are obliged by law to enter into. Through the SRAs certain social amenities such as schools, bore-holes for drinking water, community centres etc. are developed.

Policy and its derived legislation endeavour to regulate the different interests that converge on the resource in such a way as to promote an ideal situation for sustained development. However, the policy themselves, sometimes, add to the deviation from the ideal. A case in point is the pursuance of an export-oriented timber industry development in Ghana which led to the creation of a yawning demand gap on the domestic market. The demand gap has been filled, over the years by operators who act illegally to supply the increasing local market. The effect of this ‘policy mishap’ on the forest environment has been tremendous. The consistent reported over-harvesting above legal limits in Ghana is attributable mostly to the illegal chainsaw lumbering. Forest cover has dwindled and this has subsequently diminished the livelihood opportunities of communities. Until recently legislation governing tree ownership was a discouragement to communities to protect and nurture timber trees on farms. The vesting of all tree harvesting rights in the State meant that a standing tree on the farm was of no use to the farmer. The commercial harvesting of the tree, in most instances, resulted in the destruction of the farm. Not surprisingly community collaboration was not forthcoming in the protection of these trees.  New legislation has however, given some ownership and benefit sharing recognition to the farmers on whose farms such trees are harvested.

Next to ineffective policies and legislation also corruption amongst all stakeholders including the State has lead to a rapid decrease of forests in the country. Resource dynamics and economic importance has prompted Ghana to enter into a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the EU to combat illegal logging, and contribute to sustainable forestry management.

The rationale behind the VPA is that areas of law enforcement that the State on its own was unable to fully implement would be done through the use of international market levers. Under the VPA a timber licensing scheme (TLS) is to be implemented. The licensing scheme will ensure that all timber consignments leaving the country, specifically to the EU, are issued with licenses attesting to their compliance with all laid down regulations (legal standard). The improved enforcement of law is expected to contribute to better regulation of the utilisation of the resource which should also manifest itself in sustainable utilisation and management of the resource. In establishing the TLS, a reduced circulation of raw material is envisaged with a concomitant reduction in production capacity of the industry. Reduced employment will be the consequence. The illegal supply arrangements of industrial wood on the domestic market will be curtailed along with its burgeoning chainsaw lumber business. The livelihood balance in the communities will be affected.

The VPA is promoted as an improvement in the law enforcement regime which in turn promotes sustainable resource management which may benefit the communities who depend on the resource for their livelihood. Are these assumptions correct?

Background reading:

Apart from the references we have collected below there are obviously more that are however protected by copyright. They are amongst others:

• Appiah et al. Dependence on forest resources and tropical deforestation in Ghana, 2007
• Blay et al. Involving local farmers in rehabilitation of degraded tropical forests: some lessons from Ghana, 2007
• Hansen and Treue. Assessing illegal logging in Ghana, 2008.