Ghana has issued its first batch of sustainable timber licenses under the European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) system, which aims to block illegal logging and strengthen forest governance. Sixteen years after Ghana signed a voluntary partnership agreement with the EU, the nation approved the first six FLEGT licenses for five companies. The licenses do not guarantee full compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is supposed to go into effect at the end of this year. “We can all be happy now for how far we have come,” Ghana’s minister for lands and natural resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said via a spokesperson in August 2025. “This milestone has been achieved through collaborative efforts of both state and non-state institutions, including civil society organizations.” The five companies that received FLEGT licenses were Samartex Timber and Plywood Co. Ltd., Logs and Lumber Ltd., JCM Company Ltd., Mere Plantations Ltd. and West Coast Wooden Products Ghana Ltd. Starting Oct. 8, all Ghanian timber products covered by the license will be allowed to export to the EU. Following the celebration of the milestone, Buah also had a warning for illegal loggers and miners: “These people should know that we are coming for them. We will come hard at them. The field day is over, and there is no hideout for them,” he said. According to Global Forest Watch, Ghana lost 13,900 hectares (34,350 acres) of primary forest in 2024. Ghana hopes the move will increase exports to Europe,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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