By 2030, Togo's forest cover is 26% and all stakeholders are organizing and working together for the protection, conservation and valorization of forest resources for sustainable development. This is the vision of Togo's forest policy built around the main strategic orientation “extending forest cover for the purposes of production, conservation, protection and reduction of climate risks”.

This vision, which is in line with that of the government contained in effect 12 of axis 3 of the PND, included in the Togo 2025 strategic plan resulting from the declaration of the government's general policy, which is to make Togo, a country of peace, a modern nation, a modern nation with inclusive and sustainable economic growth, places particular emphasis on the conservation and extension of forest cover. In its axis 3, ambition 10, project 35, the roadmap of this strategic plan provides for a response to major climate risks through targeted developments, the fight against climate change and desertification. In addition, the government intends to restore 1.4 million hectares of degraded forest landscapes and plant 1 billion trees by 2030.

Indeed, estimated at a rate of 24.24% (MERF, 2016), Togo's forest cover is in a very advanced state of degradation. The diagnosis reveals that the forest sector faces many challenges, the main ones of which are: (i) having adequate forest personnel in relation to the extent of forest cover to be protected, (ii) reducing deforestation and forest degradation, (iii) taking into account new forest management paradigms, (iv) taking into account new forest management paradigms, (iv) increasing carbon sequestration capacity, (v) valuing protected areas, (vi) reconciling food security and the extension of forest cover, (vii) organize the wood energy sector, (viii) involve the various actors in the management of forest resources, (ix) encourage large-scale reforestation, (x) increase the production capacity of communities bordering forests, (xi) promote non-wood forest products, (xii) promote forest research, (xiii) promote forest research, (xiii) mobilize adequate resources for the management of forest resources.

To face these challenges, forest policy has set the overall objective of guaranteeing the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources in order to contribute to the maintenance of environmental stability and the socio-economic development of Togo. Specifically, the aim is to improve the governance of the forest sector, to strengthen cooperation for inclusive forest management, to increase forest areas, to valorize wood and non-wood forest products and to manage protected areas and areas at risk.

The achievement of these objectives is based on four (04) strategic axes, namely:

Strategic axis 1: Strengthening the legal and institutional framework

• Expected effect 1.1. The legal framework for forest management is improved
• Expected impact 1.2: The institutional framework for forest management is strengthened

Strategic axis 2: Development of an effective partnership around forest management including forest research

• Expected effect 2.1: The professionalization of actors is ensured to improve the performance of the forest sector
• Expected effect 2.2: Research, development and innovations are carried out to ensure sustainable forest production
• Expected impact 2.3: Resource mobilization is ensured for the implementation of the National Forest Policy

Strategic axis 3: Promotion of sustained forest production

• Expected effect 3.1: sustained plant production as well as intensive reforestation are implemented
• Expected impact 3.2: The sustainable use of forest resources contributes substantially to the national economy

Strategic axis 4: Restoration of degraded settlements and conservation of biodiversity

• Expected effect 4.1: Degraded ecosystems and areas at risk are restored to enhance carbon sequestration capacity
• Expected effect 4.2: Ecosystem services are valued

Forest policy is based on the following approaches and guiding principles: principle of sustainability, principle of good governance, principle of coherence with international commitments, principle of integration with national guidelines, principle of ecosystem functions, principle of multisectoral integration, principle of multisectoral integration, principle of incentives, principle of incentives, principle of incentive, principle of equity and inclusion, principle of equity and inclusion, principle of proximity and subsidiarity, partnership-good governance, contracting.

For its implementation, an action plan, a results framework, a communication plan, a resource mobilization plan and a monitoring and evaluation mechanism have been developed.

A total amount of one hundred ninety-four billion nine hundred fifty-eight million eight hundred thirty thousand (194,958,830,000) CFA francs will be required to implement the actions contained in the forest policy action plan over the first five years. This amount will be mobilized through the State budget, private sector investment and the support of technical and financial partners.