Racewood is an initiative to develop trade in sustainably-sourced timber between Africa and Europe and other stakeholders at the conference included European timber trade associations, WWF, the Forest Stewardship Council, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes and representatives from Ghanaian government agencies.
Companies represented were mainly timber producers but secondary processors and wood product manufacturers involved in finger-jointing, industrial joinery, plywood, flooring and decking were also included.
The organiser, the Interafrican Forest Industries Association (IFIA), believes nearly a thousand face-to-face meetings were held during the three-day event.
Workshops were held to help African companies demonstrate legal origin of timber and become involved in certification, as well as review key trends on the European market and the related industrial challenges facing African timber producers.
“The quality of the round-table discussions is a clear indication that key information is now reaching its targets effectively,” the IFIA said.
