In spite of being banned in 1998, chainsaw milling continues to be a major supplier of Ghana’s domestic lumber needs. Chainsaw milling helps to sustain rural economies and livelihoods, and banning it fuels illegal practices and conflict. Chainsaw milling challenges Ghana’s ambitions to develop a legal and sustainable forestry sector.
This synthesis report examines the evolution of the policy, legal and institutional framework of chainsaw milling in Ghana.
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Forest certification was introduced more than 15 years ago and since then more than 300 million hectares of forests have been certified under a variety of schemes. But does it work?
Tropenbos International (TBI) now presents the results of a literature study evaluating the effects of forest certification on the biodiversity of temperate, boreal, and tropical forests.
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November 2009

In this issue of ETFRN News more than 20 wide-ranging articles on forests and climate change are included, aiming to contribute to the discussion on the potential role of forests and forest management in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
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On the 25th and 26th of November, a seminar on Strategic Environment Assessment and Climate Change (SEA and CC) took place. The event attracted nearly 70 participants from central and provincial levels of MARD, MoNRE, MPI, international organizations, universities, NGOs and research institutions.
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On October 8&9, 2009 TBI Ghana organised a workshop on the IoI project in Accra, Ghana on the theme, ‘Social safeguards in the Ghana-EU VPA: Jointly developing a research and development agenda for improved forest governance’. The objective was to facilitate information exchange and dialogue among forest stakeholders on the possible impacts of VPA on livelihoods.
The workshop did more than facilitating information exchange amongst stakeholders. Four key messages directed at policy makers both in Ghana and the EU also resulted.
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