Ghana: FAO stresses the importance of forests in alleviating poverty and protecting the environment

"Forestry needs to be fully integrated with other sectors in policy development, particularly agriculture", according to FAO Assistant Director-General, Forestry Department, Hosny El-Lakany. El-Lakany underlined the need "to end the isolation of forestry from mainstream development initiatives." The importance of forests in alleviating poverty and protecting the environment is increasingly being recognized, yet deforestation and forest degradation are continuing at an alarming rate, Mr. El-Lakany said.