Multi-stakeholder forest management, or collaborative forest management as it is known in Ghana, has been an initiative of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana since 1992. This initiative was emphasised as a policy in the Forest Wildlife Policy of 1994. Collaboration was described by the Forestry Department (FD) in 1993 as “any form of interaction between local people and the Forestry Department which enhances the management of the resource and improves the flow of benefits of local people” (CFMU, 1993). A forest management and marketing project known as the Gwira Banso project of the Ghana Primewood Products Limited (GAP), Dalhoff Larsen & Homeman A/S (DLH, Denmark) and chiefs and people of Gwira Banso (Amanor, 1997), was initiated. Although very successful, this project had some shortcomings. This case study, which was initiated by the Forest Management Division of FAO, describes the project; it also identifies lessons that could be learnt from the project and makes recommendations that could serve as useful guidelines for people and institutions in countries with similar ecological conditions who want to undertake projects or programmes of this nature.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Africa

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
All