Inside the fight to curb timber smuggling: Policy, policing and the path forward  

By Christabel Danso Abeam

Deep in Ghana’s vast forests, away from public spotlight, a fierce and expensive war is going on against a rampant deforestation and illegal timber trade that  is robbing the West African country of resources badly needed for economic development.

But the fight against this illegal trade and its threats to the economy is currently crippled by a massive gap in commendable policy frameworks and implementation, according to A Rocha Timber Ghana, a leading watchdog organisation in the forestry sector.

Although government agencies, local communities and civil society organisations are making deliberate attempts toward fighting the problem, analysts say that a lack of adequate funding and poor enforcement of laws and regulations on the ground has left real change elusive.

Revenue loss from illegal logging

Illegal logging and timber trafficking raises economic concerns. The country loses an estimated US$200million – US$300million in revenue annually, according to A Rocha Ghana’s 2024 report.

This is due to unregistered timber sales as a result of illegal logging & timber smuggling and exports that are either undeclared or smuggled through unauthorised routes.

A Rocha Ghana evaluates the economic loss with mirror statistics from the UN Comtrade Portal – its reviews of exports and imports of Ghana’s trading partners consistently revealing worrying disparities.

There are significant differences in the numbers posted by the two – especially in trade value (US$) and net weight (kg), which highlight a common issue in trade reporting known as mirror data discrepancies.

Data on Ghana’s trade with Belgium in 2023 highlights significant discrepancies in reported figures, as captured by a recent report. Ghana recorded timber exports valued at              US$1,270,777 with a total weight of 785,147 kilogrammes. However, Belgium reported a higher import value of US$7,968,811 for the same commodity – corresponding to a weight of 7,968,811 kilogrammes.

These data indicate that when it comes to discrepancy in value (US$) Belgium reports over 6 times higher value than Ghana does, while Belgium’s reported imported weight is over 10 times higher than what Ghana says it exported when it comes to discrepancy in weight (kg).

Trade data between Ghana and India for 2023 also reveals notable inconsistencies. According to Ghana’s records, exports to India were valued at US$1,061,080 with a net weight of 204,708 kilogrammes. However, India reported imports from Ghana worth US$2,049,720; almost double the value recorded by Ghana.

The disparity extends to volume, with India citing an import weight of 758,000 kilogrammes; more than three times the figure reported by Ghana. These discrepancies raise concerns about data accuracy and transparency in international trade reporting.

This suggests timber is being traded off the books or under false documentation, raising critical questions about enforcement and transparency.

“These variations bring to light one key question – what is accounting for the discrepancies between Ghana’s records and those of importing countries?”  A Rocha said.

From U.S. support to silence

Funding issues of CSOs working in the forestry sector have also affected Ghana.

The A Rocha Ghana Timber Trafficking project suffered greatly when Donald Trump’s administration implemented a global cut in USAID on assuming office in January 2025. It was through real-time monitoring that they were able to detect timber trafficking.

This project previously facilitated community-based surveillance and direct interventions in real-time monitoring of trafficking hotspots such as the Western North, Upper East and Bono Regions of Ghana.

Despite the cut in funding, some elements of the project are thriving.

For example, Ghana’s state Forestry Commission has set up additional checkpoints in high trafficking-prone zones, based on information collected during the project’s active period. In addition, empowered communities – especially in Bono – have actively participated in arresting illegal timber operators.

 

The funding problems have impacted structured data collection initiatives, according to project officials. Monitors from local communities are still observing timber-laden vehicles crossing Ghana’s porous borders, especially with neighbouring Burkina Faso, via Namoo and Tumu. But the people don’t have adequate structural support to process the incident reports.

Policy framework: The VPA and FLEGT permitting process

Illegal timber trade is mostly regulated by the Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union under Forest Law Enforcement Governance Trade (FLEGT) initiative, whose  main objective is to promote legally verified exports of timber out of the country.

Ghana’s government is currently working toward full implementation of the FLEGT licencing system, expected to come into effect on June 30, 2025 . This milestone is crucial, as the licence will serve as a passport for Ghanaian timber on international markets – particularly the EU.

However, policy obstacles remain. Of approximately 148 Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUCs) necessary for licencing, only 67 have been ratified. This leaves 129 contracts in limbo – a significant vulnerability. Timber harvested under these unratified permits risks being classified as illegal when FLEGT licencing is enforced.

“There is no clear roadmap for ratifying the remaining 129 TUCs. This raises serious implications for trade legality, industry stability and enforcement credibility,” A Rocha further noted.

Gains and gaps in enforcement

Notwithstanding structural barriers, There has been patchy improvement in enforcement. Joint operations between community members and the Forestry Commission have led to arrests in the Bono and Upper East Regions. Additionally, collaboration among law enforcement agencies has improved, with A Rocha Ghana facilitating training that equips officers with skills to distinguish legal from illegal timber documentation.

The Forestry Commission has also ramped up checkpoints and enhanced use of the Ghana Wood Tracking System – a digital platform designed to trace timber from source to market. However, enforcement still suffers from logistical constraints and knowledge gaps, particularly in wood identification among field officers.

“One weakness in the tracking system is that not all officers can identify wood species accurately. This opens room for misclassification and abuse,” she noted.

Local realities

Local communities are caught between suffering from and contributing to timber trafficking. Many farmers whose crops are destroyed during illegal logging lack the resources or awareness to seek redress. But this is changing.

In places like Nkwantaso at Bono, awareness campaigns under the Timber Trafficking Project have generated results. Local residents have stopped and reported illegal operators – achieved through enhanced capacity evidence collection and monitoring capabilities.

Nonetheless, poverty remains a driver. Without alternative livelihoods, some community members are co-opted into illegal logging activities. Enhancing community resilience is as essential as law enforcement in finding solutions

Civil society’s oversight role

Officials in the forestry sector say civil society organisations like A Rocha Ghana continue to play a vital role in advocating monitoring gaps. Tools like the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) enable near-real-time reporting of suspicious activities. This information has helped the Forestry Commission tighten surveillance and conduct more targetted interventions.

These civil society organisations act as a bridge between government agencies and marginalised communities through policy advocacy and grassroots mobilisation, helping to amplify voices from areas grievously affected by timber trafficking.

Recommendations and way forward

To decisively tackle timber smuggling, A Rocha Ghana is recommending strong institutional collaborations among law enforcement agencies; ensuring knowledge and systems are harmonised; and empowering communities by equipping them with monitoring tools, training and alternative livelihoods to resist the lure of illegal logging.

The watchdog organisation says Ghana can also strengthen its fight against illegal timber trade by expediting ratification of a global protocol on Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUCs);  enforcing FLEGT licencing timelines; investing in advanced technologies for timber tracking and identification; and expanding its international partnerships beyond the U.S. to secure sustainable funding for effective monitoring and enforcement.

Reference

The project received support from Thomson Reuters Foundation through the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) as part of its global work aimed at strengthening free, fair and informed societies.

Any financial assistance or support provided to the journalist has no editorial influence.

The content of this article belongs solely to the author and is not endorsed by or associated with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Thomson Reuters, Reuters or any other affiliates.

The post Inside the fight to curb timber smuggling: Policy, policing and the path forward   appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

Read Full Story