Forests of Togo: the urgent need to protect a treasure trove of biodiversity and medicinal plants

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Extract from the article: Jeunesse en Mission pour le Développement (JEMD), the local implementing partner of the Messanvi Gbeassor Foundation for Research and Action for Sustainable Development in Africa (FOMGRADA), organized a multisectoral workshop in Lomé on Friday, Oc...

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Jeunesse en Mission pour le Développement (JEMD), the local implementing partner of the Messanvi Gbeassor Foundation for Research and Action for Sustainable Development in Africa (FOMGRADA), organized a multisectoral workshop in Lomé on Friday, October 17, 2025, to present and discuss the results of the regional SUSTAINFORESTS project, which focused on analyzing the roles and sustainability of forest fragments in agricultural landscapes. The main objective was to share research results and gather contributions from stakeholders for the sustainable management of forest fragments in Togo.

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The research covered the spatiotemporal dynamics, management, and ecological and economic services of these fragments. Three community forests in Togo, namely the sacred forest of Koui, the forest of Mpoti, and the forest of Mount Agou, were selected for their size. The mapping results, emphasizes Dr. Chinwe Ifejika Seperanza, Head of the Land Systems and Sustainable Resource Use Unit at the University of Bern (Switzerland), demonstrated the effectiveness of combining satellite methods and local knowledge to define relevant conservation measures. In terms of biodiversity, the findings are remarkable, despite the small size of the fragments: the inventory of tree species in Togo identified more than 30% of the country's 400 different tree species.

Urgency of heritage conservation

The presentations of the various results highlighted a threat to tree species of international and national importance found in these forests. These species are vital to local communities, particularly for medicinal purposes.

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The disappearance of these species would mean the loss of income from non-timber forest products and the degradation of health values. The urgency of preserving community forests is therefore critical. Support from state laws combined with traditional management methods is the strategy that needs to be strengthened. There are two species of mahogany, Caïa senegalensis and Caïa grandifolio. Pterocarpus (Cosseau) and the two species of mahogany are in decline.

The vice president of Youth in Mission for Development (JEMD), Kparaki Thierry, called on organizations to do more to promote reforestation and landscape restoration.

The SUSTAINFORESTS project, funded by the European Union Research Commission and based at the University of Bern in Switzerland, analyzes the interactive roles of forest fragments in the agricultural landscapes of Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. These small patches of forest, which have survived deforestation, are often overlooked. However, they play an essential role in maintaining ecological functions and preserving genetic resources.

Esther KOLANI