THINKING beyond the canopy THINKING beyond the canopy
Forest-poverty-commodity links in the Congo Basin: A value chain perspective
Verina Ingram
Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Central Africa
NATURE INC? QUESTIONING
THE MARKET PANACEA IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND CONSERVATION
International Conference 30 June – 2 July 2011 ISS, The Hague, The Netherlands
THINKING beyond the canopy
Background Congo Basin Forests
FORESTS
POVERTY
DEVELOPMENT
COMMODITIES
• High forest cover (67%), globally 2nd largest intact humid
forest, rich & unique biodiversity, low but increasing
degradation & deforestation
• Low levels development, 61% >$2 day, 46% population
in/near forests
• High corruption, fragile states, weak governance, high
inequality, difficult business environment
• Economic resource: commercial logging = export
revenues 87.5 million US$ (1-6% of GDP), 23% forest
cover allocated to timber leases
• NTFPs long history as commodities but hidden: value and
resource availability largely unknown. Fears over-
exploitation. Conflicting conservation–development
interests
THINKING beyond the canopy
Aims & Research Questions
Gnetum africana
Aim Explore forest-poverty-commodity link using NTFP value chains to assess (sustainable) livelihoods of those engaged in the chains originating from the Congo Basin.
Questions 1. What is the significance of NTFPs to the livelihoods (economic, socio-cultural & environmental) of actors in value chains? 2. How sustainable are NTFP species, chains and livelihoods?
THINKING beyond the canopy
Study sites
9 NTFP Chains
Honey
Gnetum spp.
Irvingia spp.
Prunus africana
Bamboo
Cola spp.
Raffiia spp.
Gum arabica
Dacryodes edulis
Bas Congo
Bandundu
&Équateur
Oriental
North & Extreme
North
Northwest
&
Southwest
Centre, South,
East
Adamaoua
Littoral
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xx
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Meth
odolo
gy
Selection •Actor sample and production zones selection – Stakeholder interviews (2007)
Field work
•Prunus Inventory - 3 zones (2007-2008)
•Prunus Bark regeneration post-harvest study – 4 zones (2009)
•Botanic survey melliferous plants – 2 zones (2008, 2010)
VCA
2007-2010
• Structured actor household interviews (25% sample of actors in chains ) = 4370 actors (including 703 consumers), 288 villages, 178 markets
•40 focus group interviews & 7 problem analysis workshops in 4 cities (2006-2009)
•Market surveys – 5 major markets (2007-2010)
PAR
•Participatory action research: SWOTs, stakeholder analysis, participatory Prunus management plan, chemical and physical analysis of honey, wax and propolis, entrepreneurial skills training, setting up a Honey Export Scheme for the European market, Geographic Origin Indication, national honey profiling and pilot Market Information Systems.
•Capacity building events; Group organisation, business skills, harvesting, production & processing (honey & Prunus) training, legal framework awareness & revision
Analysis
•Data analysis SPSS and Excel, TIAMA, interpretation satellite images, SWOT, GIS mapping
•Preliminary findings verified in meetings /workshops & peer cross-checked
Outputs
•Value chain maps: visualisations, MIS systems
•Reports: Problem analyses workshop reports, Baseline Chain reports Prunus Inventory & Management Plan Guideline, Assessment sustainable harvest methods, Harvest and inventory norms (GTZ + CIFOR), Botanic survey melliferous plants, Summary actors recommendations Revision of Forestry Laws
•Actors’ groupings: Prunus Platform, Scientific Group supporting CITES Authority, Honey Federations
•Policy briefs: NTFPs in Cameroon & DRC Product sheets: 5 Cameroon & 3 DRC
Review
• Literature review - NTFPs in Cameroon and VCs
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Irvingia spp.
Score Value
1 = Subsistence or low level own/local consumption (for cultural,
medicinal, food, tools, construction use etc.)
2 = Multiple use species (own consumption)
Limited trade (Local trade or barter/exchange)
2.5 = Multiple use and local regional trade
3 = Wide scale trade (important revenue source for livelihoods,
regional to national and international trade)
Multiple use species (consumption and trade)
Major consumption (important cultural, medicinal, food, tools,
construction use)
Species classified as protected or vulnerable
4 = Major consumption and wide scale trade nationally and/or
internationally and/or protected species
Assessing multiple commodity
values
Low
High
Wilkie 1999; Clark and Sunderland 2004; Zapfack and Ngobo 2001
Acacia spp.
Gum arabic
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Apiculture: Beeswax
Values
Subsistence &
income
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
% Sold
% Consumed
% given as gifts
% barterd
% Perished
% of total production
Average use of 9 NTFPs in Cameroon & DRC by harvesters
Sco
re
00
02
04
06
08
10
12
Multiple values score
Number of uses
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Xx
Harvester
Processor
Wholesaler
Exporter
Retailer0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
10437 8629 8953
11563 A
nn
ual
ave
rage
d h
ou
seh
old
inco
me
(2
00
7-2
00
9)
US$
NTFP Chain & Country
NTFP incomes chain actors Cameroon & DRC
Average Cameroon US$ 2968
Average DRC US$ 1065
8000
10000
Risk taking, processing &
collective action add value:
up to 50% higher profits
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Numbers of actors per regional NTFP market chain
- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000
Gnetum SW Lit
Apiculture NW, SW, A
Prunus NW SW
Irvingia SW, C, S, L, E
Gum arabic EN
Bamboo NW SW C Litt
Cola NW W E
Rhapia NW W E
TOTAL CAMEROON
Fumbwa
Safou
Apiculture
TOTAL DRC
NTF
P ch
ain
No of direct actors per chain
Annual market value NTFP chains DRC & Cameroon 2007/2008/2009
- 5,000,000 10,000,000 15,000,000 20,000,000 25,000,000 30,000,000 35,000,000
Gnetum SW Lit
Apiculture NW, SW, A
Prunus NW SW
Irvingia SW, C, S, L, E
Gum arabic EN
Bamboo NW SW C Litt
Cola NW W E
Rhapia NW W E
TOTAL CAMEROON
Fumbwa
Safou
Apiculture
TOTAL DRC
NT
FP
ch
ain
Annual market value US$
Livelihoods Employment & Production
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Further from the forest..... income increases
Harvester Processor Wholesaler Exporter Retailer
382 416 2293 1276 9715
Averaged (2007-2009) contribution of 9 NTFPs in DRC & Cameroon to annual household income (US$)
Images: Apiculture chain, Cameroon
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Contribution to livelihoods….
55%
Actors,
57% total
income
Av. 7
SD. 5
years
Majority NTFP income used for basic needs
Important for women, involved in high
income stages & chains
long term contribution to livelihoods
& increasing newcomers
Av.
89%
5
years
Easy cash
Increasing demand 75-95% for food,
education,
housing,
medical needs
Low entry costs
& barriers
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Harvester Processor Wholesaler Exporter Retailer
% ranking specfic NTFP as primary source of actors’ annual household income
Beyond the forest....
38% 23% 37% Xx
dependence increases
42% 52%
Images: Gnetum spp. chain, Cameroon
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Going beyond the forest... opportunities decrease
Harvester Processor Wholesaler Exporter Retailer
6 5 4 4 2
Averaged (2007-2009) number of sources of income for actors in 9 NTFP chains in DRC & Cameroon
Images: Prunus africana chain, Cameroon
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Moving beyond the forest..... uses decrease
Harvester Processor Wholesaler Exporter Retailer
6 5 4 4 2
Averaged (2007-2009) number of uses of NTFPs by actors/consumers 9 NTFP chains in DRC & Cameroon
Images: Irvingia spp. chain, Cameroon
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• 55-57% use destructive techniques -
vulnerable products (barks, leaves)
• 10%-26% use unsustainable techniques
- less vulnerable (honey, bamboo)
• Low levels & recent domestication in
high value chains (Gnetum)
• Higher domestication levels in long
established chains (cola, raffia, safou, gum)
• Domestication too recent to cope with
increased demand
• Negative indicators last 5 years:
• Increasing demand for all products
• Increasing distances to harvest
• Increasing time spent searching
• Reduction in volumes harvested
• Increasing newcomers to trade
especially ‘foreigners’
• Bans & trade suspensions (Prunus, honey)
Photo: K Stewart
Prunus africana
and in the forest.... sustainability decreases
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RESULTS: Cause for concern?
Yes! when combined with context of the NTFP chains :
• Little chain wide communication between actors on prices & availability
• High urban demand
• Easy to access
• Destructive harvest techniques used
• Other anthropogenic threats exist
• Largely open access resource
• Low levels of cultivation & domestication
• Variable governance voids/excesses:
– Little or ineffective formal regulations
– Unenforced
– Largely unkown
– Absent customary governance
• High levels of corruption
THINKING beyond the canopy
Gnetum spp.
Dacryodes
edulis
.
Garcinia kola
.
Irvingia spp.
• Positive livelihoods impacts of forest dwellers, rural & urban chain actors
• Multiple roles = multi-use, cash, safety net, gap filler and cushion
• Some traded NTFPs can lift people out of poverty
• But also poverty traps: reliance on a dwindling resource
• Wide variances in history & sustainability of chains
• Short term profit seeking & unsustainable harvest practices threaten long
term livelihoods
• Actors further from forest uninformed & un-engaged in chain custody for
long term, sustainable supply.
• Overlapping, conflicting bricolage of customary, regulatory, certification &
‘’project’’ governance hinders sustainable management
• In this context, wild harvest = unsustainable harvest
• Harvest techniques, cultivation & domestication increased sustainability &
profit + changed values
• Stakeholders open to participate in formulating policy & practical
measures to address both ‘’beauty’’ and ‘’beast’’ when aware of risks
Conclusions: A panacea for some…
THINKING beyond the canopy THINKING beyond the canopy
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
is one of the 15 centres supported by the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Thank you!
www.cifor.cgiar.org [email protected]