Ghana signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union in 2009, as part of the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan to address illegal logging.

In this context, the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme partnered with Kumasi Wood Cluster (KWC) through two consecutive projects to assist Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs) in complying with forest legality standards. SMFEs were able to identify gaps in operations and received trainings to undertake corrective actions to close these gaps. These trainings equipped operators with new skillsets, leading to increased compliance with the Ghana Timber Legality Assurance System established under the framework of the VPA.