Empowering local population for production of non-timber
forest products
Forest Tenure, Governance and Enterprise
May 25-29 Yaounde, Cameroon
Zac Tchoundjeu
ICRAF REGIONAL DIRECTOR
PO. Box 16 317 Yaoundé Cameroon
Email: z.tchoundjeu@cgiar.org
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Articulations
1. ICRAF in WCA Region
2. Concept of participatory tree
domestication in WCA
3. Way Forward
4. CONCLUSION
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

21 countries
330 million people
1200 million ha
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

ECOSYSTEMS OF WCA REGION
AHT is a hot spot with more than
1800 endemic plant species
31 endemic threatened birds
35 endemic threatened mammals Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre
African Humid

Distribution of Area under Cultivation By
Zone
5-year Average (2003-2007)
5
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Yield per hectare by Zone
5yr Average
2007
(2003‐2007)
World 541 524
Africa 539 510
America 327 334
Asia & Oceania 772 786
6
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

FOREST IS NOT ONLY LOGS AND TIMBER
Over two thirds of the 600 million people in Africa rely
directly or indirectly on forest for their livelihoods
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Volatility of coffee price
NTFPS can generate more income (FCFA)
250.00
230.00
1600
210.00 1400
1200
190.00
170.00
1000
U S c e n t s /lb
150.00
Cocoa
130.00
800
110.00
Irvingia
90.00
600 Ricinod.
70.00 400
200
50.00
30.00
1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 0
calendar year
1996 1997 1998 1999
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Participatory Tree Domestication (PTD)
Put simply PTD refers to:
• the means communities select, propagate and manage
high-value indigenous fruit trees and medicinal plants and
integrate them in the various farming systems,
• Species for domestication are mainly selected
encompassing indigenous knowledge and genetic selection
based on scientific principles
• A strong partnership is developed with scientists, civic
authorities and private companies.
• PTD is a farmer driven and market lead process. It focuses
on species farmers consume best with high potentials for
local, regional and international markets
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

SPECIES UNDER DOMESTICATION
Kola nitida Ricinodendron heudelotii
Irvingia gabonensis
Gnetum africanum
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

60
Allanblackia
Palm oil
50 Palm kernel
Rape oil
40
30
20
10
0
ic
c
ei c
ri c
ic
8:2
it i
ar
i st
l au
ol
lm
C1
st e
yr
pa
m
Allanblackia floribunda
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

How to multiply Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre cuttings
African
the selected species: rooting

Grafting
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

How to multiply the selected species: Centre layering
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry
air

Creation of a cultivar
Dacryodes edulis
Earlier fruiting, smaller trees and uniform quality
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

BAOBAB VEGETABLE BANK
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Farmer-Managed Vegetative Propagation Unit
Shade house
Humidity chamber
Stockplant
Non-mist rooting
propagator
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN PILOT VILLAGES
Nigeria
DRC
Cameroon
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Approaches for linking rural communities to
markets
1. Integrating small farmers into value chains
2. Building local skills for improving competitiveness
3. Appraising market-led opportunities for rural
communities
4. Strengthening service providers
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

25000
20000
15000
HOW TO INCREASE
FARMER INCOMES
10000
5000
0
Regional Local Local Local Regional Farmer (1-4)
Retailer (3) Traders (4) Collectors (4) Collectors (3) Retailer (4)
Profit margin received by market actors
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Njansang Examples
Collectives action / Group Sales
Sensitization
Sensitization
Meetings
Meetings
Group Dynamics
Group Dynamics
Improve harvest
Improve harvest
and post-harvest
and post-harvest
Guarantee
Guarantee techniques
techniques
Farmer Funds
Funds
Enterprise
Developme Farmers
nt In
Building linkages
Cameroon Workshop &
Workshop &
Building linkages
between farmers
between farmers
Training
Training and traders
and traders
Market
Market
Survey
Survey
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Some Results
• In 2005, 4 farmers
2000000
1800000
enterprises generates
1600000 received 709,075 FCFA
1400000 from the sale of
1200000 Amount 2005 njansang.
Am ount
1000000 Amount 2006
800000 Amount 2007
600000
• In 2006, they generated
400000
200000
2,826,000FCFA.
0
• In 2007 they generated
en
u
k
n
ec
do
so
el
nd
ou
M
as
O
ob
pw
2,472,150FCFA.
ol
Ek
Nk
Villages enterprise
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

The Njansang Kernel Cracking machine:
Percentage of success 90
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Enhance agricultural
Income Generating
Options in West
and North West
regions of
Cameroon
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Post harvest machines
Ventilated dryers for drying
tree, food and spice products Multipurpose mills
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Conclusion
• Early fruiting and capture of desired traits
are great incentive for adoption.
• Market of agroforestry products is being
gradually developed with appropriate
transformation and packaging methods.
• Indigenous fruit trees have high potentials to
improve livelihood of local populations
helping to achieve the MDGs (Poverty
eradication, hunger reduction, improved of
health and nutrition)
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre

Conclusion…
Indigenous fruit portfolio now at the heart of key
global environmental processes
• Convention to combat desertification
Agroforestry for land regeneration
• Biodiversity Convention
Role of agroforestry in biodiversity conservation
• Climate Change Convention
Agroforestry as a key to adaptation
Smallholder projects for carbon sequestration
• UN Forum on Forests
Key role of trees outside forests
African Humid Tropics Regional Programme – World Agroforestry Centre