Living in and from the Forests of Central Africa
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NON-WOOD FOREST 21 PRODUCTS Today, when the age-old balance between man and nature seems to have been disrupted, when food and nutritional security, poverty alleviation and biodiversity and forest 21 resource conservation have become global issues, and when ISSN 1020-9727 uncontrolled population growth is leading to conflicts over living space and jeopardizing the continued existence of forest ecosystems, the phenomenon of climate change is yet another challenge to the creative genius of forest peoples to preserve and sustainably manage forests and the non-wood forest products Living in and from the forests of Central Africa (NWFPs) found there. This book pays tribute to the unflagging strength and intelligence of the Bantu, Baka-Bandjeli and Bororo-Wodaabe peoples and, by extension, to all the “lords of the forest” of Central Africa. Over the generations, these peoples have developed a body of knowledge that has enabled I6399EN/1/03.16 Living in and from the them to live and from the forests and their biodiversity, while preserving and enhancing them, even before the introduction of classic food and export crops. 2017 © FAO forests of Central Africa ISBN 978-92-5-109489-1 ISSN 1020-3370 9 789251 094891 I6399EN/1/03.17 FAO Living in and from the forests of Central Africa Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2017 Recommended citation: FAO. 2017. Living in and from the forests of Central Africa. Rome. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of FAO and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109489-1 © FAO, 2017 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. 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This publication has been printed using selected products and processes so as to ensure minimal environmental impact and to promote sustainable forest management. iii Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................viii Foreword .......................................................................................................................................... ix Preface ............................................................................................................................................... x Acronyms......................................................................................................................................... xi Introduction (Ousseynou Ndoye) ...............................................................................................xii Part I General information on Central Africa Chapter 1 Background (Marie Torbay and Paul Vantomme) 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 2. Climate and vegetation ............................................................................................................... 3 3. Population .................................................................................................................................... 4 4. Socio-economic context ............................................................................................................. 5 5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 NWFPs in Central Africa: history, importance and challenges (Ousseynou Ndoye, Juliane Masuch, Armand Asseng Zé and Aloys Nnama) 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 2. History of NWFPs..................................................................................................................... 9 3. Importance of NWFPs in Central Africa ...............................................................................10 4. The cocoa crisis and the rise of NWFP exploitation by rural people ..................................10 5. Issues in the Nagoya Protocol affecting Central Africa .......................................................11 6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 12 Chapter 3 Forests and their riches: NWFPs (Paul Vantomme and Marie Torbay) 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................15 2. NWFPs .......................................................................................................................................15 3. Some examples of NWFPs of animal origin ..........................................................................16 4. Some examples of NWFPs of plant origin .............................................................................17 5. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................17 Chapter 4 Forest policies (Paul Vantomme and Marie Torbay) 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................19 2. Establishment of a COMIFAC Convergence Plan ................................................................19 3. The case of NWFPs.................................................................................................................. 20 4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 22 iv Part II Contribution of NWFPs to forest peoples’ food security Chapter 5 A plentiful source of good-quality food (Florence Tonnoir) 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 27 2. NWFPs in the basic diet of forest people .............................................................................. 27 3. Cultural perception of NWFPs: taboos and varied diets .................................................... 27 4. Nutritional characteristics of some forest foods that constitute the basic diet ................. 28 5. Contribution of NWFPs to food and nutritional security ...................................................31 6. Impact of the NWFP trade on nutrition and health .............................................................32 7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................33 Chapter 6 Bushmeat and forest peoples’ quality of life (Julius Chupezi Tieguhong and Jean Lagarde Betti) 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................35 2. Overview of the use of animal wildlife resources in Central Africa .................................. 36 3. Stakeholders in the bushmeat industry .................................................................................. 36 4. Management of bushmeat resources ........................................................................................39 5. Production process ....................................................................................................................41 6. Commercial aspects ...................................................................................................................41 7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................42 Part III NWFPs and their economic and social importance Chapter 7 NWFPs help to generate income for poor households (Verina Ingram, Awono Abdon and Jolien Schure) 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................47