Factors enhancing and restricting the success of SRA compliance on the FLEGT/VPA initiative in Ghana. Insights from Juaso forest district in Ghana.

This study examines the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Ghana and the European Union (EU) within the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Initiative (FLEGT). The VPA aims to enhance forest governance, reduce deforestation, combat illegal practices, and improve livelihoods of forest fringe communities. The research focuses on the implementation of social responsibility agreements (SRAs) under the VPA framework and identifies factors contributing to their success or presenting challenges. Data collection involved mixed methods, including literature review and a survey of individuals involved in SRAs. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, were conducted. Principal component analysis revealed that accountability, monitoring of implementation and progress of SRAs, and documentation of SRA agreements were key factors contributing to the success of negotiated SRAs, explaining about 68.36 % of success variance. Challenges and constraints were categorized into two main factors: weak community capacity to negotiate SRAs and weak community capacity to enforce compliance, explaining about 71.4 % of challenge variance. The study found that the exclusion of the local SRA committee (LSRAC) from certain decision-making processes affected trust and transparency in calculating SRA benefits. Elite capture of benefits was identified as an issue, as the LSRAC did not conduct sufficient consultations with community members before negotiations. The findings emphasize the importance of including local communities in all forest management activities and call for increased awareness of SRAs, particularly for the LSRAC. The study highlights the need for proper representation of community interests during negotiations and their inclusion in forest management plans.