Governance Arrangements for Sustainable Charcoal Production in Ghana.

Production of charcoal in Ghana is very often unregulated and unsustainable resulting in forest degradation and deforestation. To assess charcoal production in Ghana, TBI Ghana with support from IIED, started the project “Supporting Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs) for Sustainable Livelihoods: Facilitating Sustainable Charcoal Production in Ghana”.

Within the framework of this project, local governance arrangements have been drafted to guide the activities of three charcoal producing associations at Atebubu in the Brong-Ahafo Region where charcoal production is a major source of livelihood.

The workshop was attended by members of three charcoal associations, some chiefs and elders of the producing communities. The participants discussed and concluded these governance arrangements that cover seven critical areas related to the production and marketing of charcoal:

• Production and trade associations
• Acquisition of access rights to wood for charcoal production
• Sustainability of (charcoal) resource base
• Integrated woodlot/plantation establishment
• Benefit sharing arrangements in respect of charcoal production from natural woodlands
• Dealing with unauthorized producers
• Pricing of charcoal

Additionally, the beneficiary communities, Kokofu, Kumfia and Fakwasi, have been sensitized on the impact of their activities on the environment and why the present mode of charcoal production is unsustainable. As a result, the communities expressed the desire to establish woodlots and tree plantations to provide a sustainable resource base for the production of charcoal.