The 5th World Teak Congress (WTC) is underway in Kochi, India, under the theme, “Sustainable Development of the Global Teak Sector -Adapting to Future Markets and Environments”. The 4-day event, which is scheduled from September 17-20 2025, brings together delegates from 40 countries around the globe, including farmers, researchers, academia, policy makers, forestry and forestry-related institutions, among others.
Ghana was duly represented, with four participants from the Forestry Commission, led by Dr Hugh C.A. Brown, Chief Executive, who is also the Chairman of the Scientific Organising Committee and Chairman of TEAKNET.
TEAKNET is an international network of institutions and individuals interested in teak. The Organisation addresses the interests of categories of stakeholders related to teak, whether they are growers, traders, researchers or other groups with a profound interest or concerned with teak. TEAKNET is the main organiser of the Conference, with support from institutions like the Forestry Commission.
Delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Conference, Dr Brown gave a brief history of all Teak Conferences held since the first one was held in Costa Rica in 2011, and the fourth one, held in Ghana in 2022. He mentioned how collaborative efforts of the various stakeholders in the teak value chain have led to Ghana’s development, saying, “Today, these provide thousands of jobs, sustain rural livelihoods and form a significant part of our timber exports and climate mitigation strategies,” he said.
He seized the opportunity to inform the Conference about the feat Ghana chalked on 15th August 2025, by becoming the first country in Africa and the second in the world, after Indonesia, to have issued a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) License for European Union-bound timber and timber products. According to Dr Hugh Brown, the issuance of a FLEGT License” is underpinned by the Timber Legality Assurance System (GhLAS), which certifies that all timber exports to the EU and all other destinations, including India, are legally sourced from responsibly managed forests”.
The Chairman of TEAKNET acknowledged the important role the organisation has played by providing a platform for all players in the teak sector to assemble at one place for business and exchange ideas. He described that as a “bridge linking local experiences to global dialogues, ensuring that knowledge flows both ways; from field to policy, and from research to practice,” he concluded.
Dr. Brown gave a detailed breakdown of the 4-day program and informed participants that the sessions of the conference are designed to generate knowledge, translate science into solutions, research into practice and dialogue into collective action. He further admonished participants to use the platform created by the Conference to build trust, partnerships and a shared vision that will enable the teak sector to grow economically, not forgetting the sense of environmental responsibility. He wished participants all the best for the Conference, whilst expressing appreciation to the organisers and supporters of the conference.
As part of the publicity activities, an exhibition stand was mounted to showcase the work of the Commission and display handcrafted artefacts made from Ghana teak. It received a large number of visitors.
The first day ended with a warm reception, where participants were treated to good Indian cultural performances and songs, amidst strong networking.
