John Allotey
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with Forestry Commission (FC), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the University of Georgia (UGA) has organised a national policy dialogue on contributions and sectoral linkages of the forest sector to the economy of the country.
The national dialogue themed, ‘Promoting Sustainable Forest Based Industry in Ghana’ aims to advance sustainable value chains and investments in line with Ghana’s overarching development goals.
Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Commission, John Allotey, in his address, said that the forestry sector plays a pivotal role in preserving biodiversity and also contributes significantly to the livelihood of millions of Ghanaians.
He revealed that about 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for their livelihoods and about 600 million native and local communities reside in and depend on forests.
He added that a survey according to FAO shows that about 300 million people also live in forest areas.
According to him, the forest sector provides the right microclimate for the production of tree crops and foodstuffs such as cocoa in Ghana, and also a habitat for both plants and animal species that contribute to pollination and sustainable food chains.
“In recent times, a number of payments for ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and watershed management that are derived from forest landscapes have been recognised globally, particularly in the face of climate crisis,” he said.
He explained that the purpose for the national dialogue is to discuss and find actionable recommendations concerning the absence of holistic natural capital accounting processes, and the underreported impacts of the forest sector to the economy.
Mr. Allotey urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure that the forest sector continues to thrive and contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of the country.
Director of Business, Industry and Trade, GSS, Dr. Owusu Kagya, said the Ghana Forest Service is institutionally mandated by the Sub-Scarce Service Act 2019, to collect, collate and analyse data to produce official statistics and make them available to all users, especially the government, for evidence-based policy planning and implementation to provide a better quality of life for the general populace.
He revealed that, the estimation of the Agri-sector comprises four sub-sectors including the forestry and logging, contributing an average of about 1.5% to GDP, adding that, it has been consistent for about a decade with an overall growth of 2.9% in 2023 GDP.
For his part, Chief Director, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Prof. John Agbesinyale, said the forests are vital for maintaining ecological balance, regulating water cycles, and preserving biodiversity, which are essential for agriculture sustenance and other economic activities.
He disclosed that, by engaging with stakeholders, policymakers and experts from various sectors, “we can address the gaps in data collection and reporting to ensure that, the forest sector is accurately represented in our economic assessments.”
According to him, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with its agencies and stakeholders is implementing initiatives and interventions such as sustainable forest development, National Afforestation Programme, and the flagship Green Ghana project to address challenges facing the forest sectors.
By Janet Odei Amponsah