Forestry Extension Service: a missing link in Ghana’s reforestation efforts

Forestry Extension Service: a missing link in Ghana’s reforestation efforts

Ghana - 05 March, 2014

The need for a formal forestry extension service for the forestry sector in Ghana has become crucial in the light of massive reforestation and plantation development by both smallholder farmers and commercial entities. This was the subject of an essay competition organized by Tropenbos International Ghana for tertiary students in natural resource management as part of its capacity building efforts.

The winner of the competition, Master Kumeh Mensah is a final year student of the Faculty of Natural Resources Management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He was awarded a new laptop. Consolation prices were awarded to the first and second runners up.

Over the years Ghana has tried different models of forestry extension services but for some reason none has been sustainable. Currently there is a massive drive towards reforestation and plantation establishment. There is however no proper system in place to provide technical support and other needed back-up services to support the reforestation efforts. There is therefore the need to examine past initiatives with the view to putting in place a workable extension service scheme. In the light of this the essay competition was organized to kick of the process of analyzing past efforts and garner stakeholder views on the issue.

Speaking on the receipt of the award, Master Eric Kumeh Mensah said ‘my first impression on reading the notice that called for the essay was, does forestry extension really work?’ Yet after I was contacted as the ultimate winner, I was convinced’. He added that ‘today I leave the office of Tropenbos International Ghana not only with an award but also a lot of knowledge about the issue, knowledge that will propel me to greater heights’. He concluded by saying ‘thanks to TBI Ghana for making knowledge work for forests and people’. As a follow-up to the essay competition TBI Ghana proposes to carry out empirical studies and stakeholder consultations to eventually come up with a proposal for a workable forestry extension service.

Download here the winner essay