Abdon Awono

PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF SAFOU (DACRYODES EDULIS) IN CAMEROON AND INTERNATIONALLY: MARKET DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

ABSTRACT This paper draws together information from three separate projects on the production of Dacryodes edulis (G.Don) H.J. Lam or ‘safou’ in Cameroon, and its domestic and international trade. The volume of safou fruit commercialised in Cameroon in 1997 was estimated at 11,000 tonnes, equivalent to US

Gender implications of forest product value chains in the Congo basin

7.5 million. Exports from Central Africa and Nigeria to France, the United Kingdom and Belgium were worth over US

Vegetal non-timber forest products in Cameroon, contribution to the national economy

2 million in 1999. A study of nine markets in the humid forest zone of Cameroon in 1999 revealed that women dominate the retail trade while men concentrate on wholesale. For both, safou trade is an important long-term livelihood option. Depending on the market and volume traded, weekly marketing margins can be double the minimum wage. Far from being exploited by traders, producers were found to receive 75% of the consumer price on average. The main constraint to both the domestic and international trade is the high perishability of safou.

How are REDD+ Proponents Addressing Tenure Problems? Evidence from Brazil, Cameroon, Tanzania, Indonesia, and Vietnam

Activities and roles in value chains of forest products in the Congo Basin are highly gendered, varying with the products characteristics, the segment of the chain and customary regulations and norms. High-value products are primarily male-harvested when customary rules govern tenure and access, enabling men to exert control. Whilst non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important cash sources for both sexes, women tend to use more of their harvest for domestic consumption, while men sell a greater proportion. Interventions by research and development organisations, NGOs and projects have positively influenced womens incomes in some NTFP chains. Suggestions include supporting womens domesticating and cultivating NTFPs currently pressured by over-harvesting; recognising the informal, often invisible nature of value chains; addressing unfavourable customary norms restricting the possession of valuable species by women; revising bureaucratic trade regulations; improving value-adding opportunities and supporting collective action to access credit and increasing bargaining power.

Land tenure and REDD+: The good, the bad and the ugly

SUMMARY This pape r analyses the contribution of some non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to the economy of Cameroon through the lens of livelihoods, food security, employment and financial values. Specifically, the work aims at determining the income generated from vegetal NTFPs sales, the value of self-consumption and the number of jobs provided, in order to assess the contribution of NTFPs to the national economy. A combination of literature review and in-depth data collated by CIFOR from households and markets for different periods corresponding to specific NTFP funded projects in Cameroon was used. The results show that NTFPs constitute a regular source of income (even though not the most important) for rural households due to their diversity. About 38% of vegetal NTFPs are used as food and the annual economic value for 16 of them is estimated at 32 billion XAF (64.7 million USD). Their value added is estimated at 6.4 billion XAF (13 million USD) representing 0.2% of the GDP of the country with at least 283,000 people involved.