Julius Chupezi Tieguhong

Gender implications of forest product value chains in the Congo basin

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.

Bars to Jars: Bamboo Value Chains in Cameroon

Bamboo is a well know and versatile material, which is a common sight across Cameroons diverse ecosystems, from dry to humid tropical and Afromontane forests. Its numerous uses range from storage jars to decorating restaurant-bars, beehives to knives, fences, fodder, and fuel. Responding to the paucity of data on species and uses, the value chain for bamboo in Cameroon was analyzed. Based on 171 interviews and field observations, two African indigenous species (alpine Yushania alpina and savannah Oxytenanthera abyssinica) and exotic (Bambusa vulgaris spp.) bamboos were identified as most utilized. They were tracked from major production zones to final consumers. The ecological, socio-economic, institutional, and governance contexts and impacts are described and analyzed. Issues for research, conservation, and development are highlighted. These include the ambiguous regulatory status, the relationship between tenure and management, threats and conservation of African species and options to increase the sustainable livelihoods for stakeholders dependent upon bamboo.

The role of forest resources in income inequality in Cameroon

Abstract The present study focuses on forest incomes of households around forest concessions in Cameroon. The contributions of forest income to the economy and well-being of households were measured and the explanatory factors for heterogeneity determined. We used the Gini index to evaluate the distribution of household forest incomes and their influence on well-being and income inequality amongst forest-dependent households. Three TOBIT econometric models with sample selection were estimated to identify factors that influence the level of each source of forest income. Results from our analysis show that forest contributes on average 38% of total annual household income with 19, 13 and 6% from illegal logging, hunting and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) of vegetal origin, respectively. Forest income overall contributes in increasing disparities among people by 3%. Income from illegal logging was found to be a major source of income inequality while other forest income sources such as NTFPs and hunting slightly reduced income inequality. Access to villages and the amount of agricultural income were the main factors that explained the differences in forest income.

Physico-chemical characteristics and fatty acid profile of Baillonella toxisperma Pierre traditionally extracted edible oil from Cameroon forests

Baillonella toxisperma Pierre oil is an edible oil obtained from the seeds of wildly growing timber producing B. toxisperma tree species in Cameroon and the rest of the Congo Basin forests of West and Central Africa. This oil can be an important source of fat that can be used as a source of food to humans and/or a source of raw materials in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, to produce important commercial products. In the present study, samples of the seeds of B. toxisperma were harvested from three representative villages, each from the site in South and East of Cameroon. Seed oil was extracted using the traditional extraction method of B. toxisperma oils in rural Cameroon. Physico-chemical characteristics including colour, refractive index, viscosity, oil yield, acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, iodine value and α-tocopherols and fatty acid composition of crude oil of B. toxisperma nuts were all investigated. The oil yields from these seeds ranged from 38.2% to 45.6%. The peroxide, saponification and iodine values ranged from 2.13 to 2.69mEq/kg, 182.13 to 188.30 mg KOH/g and 54.41 to 57.98 I2g/100g, respectively. The highest acid value and α- tocopherols were 14.87 mg KOH/g and 24.3 mg/100g, respectively. The main fatty acids of Baillonella toxisperma Pierre oils were oleic, stearic and palmitic acids. Linoleic acid contents varied between 58.6% and 56.97%. The ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids content in these oils was 2:1. The fact that the physico-chemical characteristics and fatty acid profile are comparable to common vegetable oils shows that the B. toxisperma oil of the researched species from Cameroon is a potential source of valuable oil which might be used for edible, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other industrial applications. This characterization is a bench mark for monitoring the quality of Baillonella toxisperma Pierre oil, from Cameroon and can be used to enhance its local and international trade. Keywords: Congo Basin, Baillonella toxisperma Pierre Oil, Fatty Acid, Physicochemical