The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in collaboration with its partners, is implementing a number of policy initiatives to maximise and address challenges in the forestry sector, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has said. He said interventions, including sustainable forest management practices, the flagship green Ghana project, and the national afforestation programme were playing an effective role in preserving the forest ecosystem. This was in a speech read on behalf of the Minister at a policy dialogue report on Economic Contribution and Sectoral Linkages of the Forestry Sector to the National Economy spanning 2022-2023. The dialoque is jointly organised in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the Ghana Forestry Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Warnell School of Forestry at the University of Georgia. The report provides an assessment of the economic contribution of Ghana's forest sector, which is often underes timated. The report focusses on the wood-based industry, encompassing three subsectors: forestry and logging, solid wood products manufacturing, and wood furniture. The total contribution of the forest sector in 2014 amounted to GHc10.829 billion. The Minister said the forest played a vital role to the country's socio-economic development, providing support to livelihoods and raw materials and contributing to climate resilience. 'Forests are vital for maintaining ecological balance, regulating water cycles, and preserving biodiversity, all of which are essential for sustaining agriculture and other key economic activities,' he said. He said the lack of formal recognition and the challenges in quantifying the sector's contributions had led to its marginalisation in national accounting and policy frameworks. The forest sector, the Minister stressed, was often overshadowed by other industries when discussing national economic performance, yet its impact was profound and far-reaching. The dialogue, he stat ed, would present a timely opportunity to shed light on the vital role of the forest, not just as environmental assets but as key drivers of economic growth, employment, and national development. Ms Thais Linhares Juvenal, Senior Forestry Officer, Forestry Division, FAO, expressed concern about climate change destroying the food system and called for urgent attention. The sector, she stressed, when harnessed and utilised effectively would be a tool to fight poverty, especially in the rural areas. She called for increased data connection to better explore opportunities created in the economic linkages of sectors of the economy. Ms Juvenal recommended the expansion of high-productivity forestry, agriculture, and tree-growing to improve the sector. Dr Owusu Kagya, the Director of Business, Industry, and Trade Statistics Directorate, GSS, said the forestry sector could be the main driver of economic growth when fully harnessed. He was confident that the findings of the report would be fully utilised and use d for policy decision-making. Source: Ghana News Agency