Togo rolls out 2,000-hectare forestry project to support shea industry and climate resilience

Agriculture

Wednesday, 03 June 2026 12:51

Togo rolls out 2,000-hectare forestry project to support shea industry and climate resilience

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has launched a recruitment drive in Togo for a forestry economist consultant to support the implementation of a sustainable forest resource management project through 2027.

The initiative aims to strengthen climate resilience in rural communities while developing the shea value chain across several regions of the country.

The project will operate in four target areas across the Maritime, Centrale, Kara and Savanes regions. It includes the establishment of 2,000 hectares of plantations and four one-hectare training and demonstration centres.

Funded by the Korean Forest Service and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, the project is built around three main components. The first focuses on improving local governance and knowledge management related to shea parklands. The second covers reforestation, improvements in production quality, and the development of storage and processing facilities. The third seeks to strengthen climate adaptation by directly involving women’s and youth cooperatives.

A 2025 study conducted in Togo highlighted significant regional differences. In the Avé area, local communities generate more income from fuelwood than from shea production, largely because of the low productivity of existing trees. The project therefore plans to promote alternative agroforestry models to reduce pressure on forest resources.

Field studies planned under the initiative will assess economic models, local governance arrangements and the commercial viability of future processing infrastructure. The objective is to support the creation of sustainable income opportunities for the rural communities involved.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.