Togo’s New Forestry Code Moves Forward as Government Balances Conservation and Development
Togo’s new forestry code, adopted by the Council of Ministers, strategically pivots from pure conservation to a balanced model that integrates local community participation, private investment, and agroforestry to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. By decentralizing forest management to local authorities and formalizing community involvement in land classification, the legislation directly addresses the root cause of ecosystem degradation—energy-driven wood use—while simultaneously strengthening enforcement against poaching and wildlife trafficking. The code is a critical legislative pillar supporting Togo’s ambitious national targets of restoring 1.4 million hectares by 2030 and its 2025 reforestation budget of CFAF 11.18 billion, positioning legal reform as the catalyst for large-scale environmental recovery. Ultimately, this draft law signals a shift toward treating forests as socio-economic assets, where regulated access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing mechanisms are designed to make conservation economically viable for local populations.
