The Socio-Economic Contribution of Detarium Senegalense Seeds to Rural Livelihoods in Togo (West Africa)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Available online at http://www.ifgdg.org Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 13(3): 1582-1595, June 2019 ISSN 1997-342X (Online), ISSN 1991-8631 (Print) Original Paper http://ajol.info/index.php/ijbcs http://indexmedicus.afro.who.int The socio-economic contribution of Detarium senegalense seeds to rural livelihoods in Togo (West Africa) Fifonsi Ayélé DANGBO1*, Kossi ADJONOU1, Kouami KOKOU1 et Juergen BLASER2 1 Laboratoire de recherche forestière, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Lomé, BP 1515 Lomé, Togo. 2School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Science (HAFL), Switzerland. *Auteur correspondant; E-mail: [email protected] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to express sincere thanks to African Forest Forum (AFF) for their financial support to this work. ABSTRACT Detarium senegalense J. F. Gmel., of the Fabaceae family, is one of the most used tree species in the natural forest area of Togo. The rural population uses several parts of the species to enhance their income. Detarium senegalense provides in particular a high economic valued seed. However, there are only few scientific studies on the contribution of the species to the income of rural households. The objective of this study is to contribute to the promotion of multi-purpose tree species in Togo with particular emphasis on better knowledge of Detarium senegalense. The methodology used is based on semi-structured interviews as well as participatory observations. Detarium senegalense contributes to the economy and livelihood of the rural population through income generated by the collection and trading of seeds. Collectors and traders of the seed are mostly women. The average amount of seed harvested is 45.6 (± 25.3) kg per year per collector and revenue per year per collector is US $ 59 (± 58). Local people can have an important role to secure Detarium senegalense in the degraded natural forests of Togo. However, the sustainable management of this species in the future can only be secured through an active promotion of natural regeneration, enrichment planting and domestication. © 2019 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved Keywords: Detarium senegalense, seed harvesting, impact, rural income, Togo. INTRODUCTION Neumann and Hirsch, 2000; Belcher and Non timber forest products (NTFPs) Vantomme, 2003; Bayeli et al., 2019; Balde et are an important component to rural al., 2019). They are particularly important for livelihoods and make significant and timely ensuring food security and maintaining income contributions to poor households nutritional balance in the diet of populations. (Malleson et al., 2014). Many studies have NTFPs contribute to the annual total revealed the socio-economic value of these household income. Observations range from resources such as those from Adansonia 15% in Malawi to roughly 40% in Mali digitata, Irvingia gabonensis / Irvingia (Heubes et al., 2012). In many rural wombolu, Dacryodes edulis, Ricinodendron communities, especially in the dry tropics, heudelotii, Garcinia kola, Chrysophyllum people depend solely on agriculture and albidum, Cola spp etc. to the national marketing of NTFPs for their income and economy and livelihoods in West Africa subsistence (Agbelade and Onyekwelu, 2013). (Timko et al., 2010; Heubes et al., 2012) ; The poorest households in remote areas are © 2019 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved. 8109-IJBCS DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v13i3.30 F. A. DANGBO et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 13(3): 1582-1595, 2019 most dependent on income from the collection Detarium senegalense are scarce and often of NTFPs as it represents one of the few incomplete. For the rational management of opportunities to earn some money in those the species and for developing restoration areas (Malleson et al., 2014). Income from strategies, it is essential to find answers to NTFPs, particularly from species such as some research questions about the availability Arthocarpus sp, Canarium schweinfurthii, of Detarium senegalense products for the Dacryodes edulis, Gambeya Africana, local population in Togo and the economic Ricinodendron heudelotii, may become even contribution of Detarium senegalense seeds to more important to rural households in West their income. Despite the threat to the species, Africa, as we move forward towards there are no up-to-date, reliable data on the changeable and uncertain times, characterized use of seed and the survival of the species in by rapid and inequal economic growth, Togo. To establish a good policy for the population expansion and an ever changing conservation of a species, this information is and unpredictable climate (Heubes et al., very important (Kebenzikato et al., 2014). The 2012). Some NTFPs are characterized by general objective of this study was to relatively low yields, but the importance of contribute to the promotion of multi-purpose their contribution to reduce poverty is found tree species in Togo with particular emphasis in their role in reducing risk through a on a better understanding of economic value diversified livelihood strategy (Malleson et al. of Detarium senegalense. The specific 2014). Among the forest tree species that objectives are: (i) determine the availability of produce a tradeable NTFP, Detarium Detarium senegalense seeds for local senegalense JF Gmel is one of the most population in Togo; (ii) evaluate the economic exploited species in West Africa, particularly contribution of Detarium senegalense seeds to in Togo (Atato et al., 2010). Since many rural population around Togo's Atakora chain. years, the timber is exploited locally in Togo (Adjossou, 2009). Detarium senegalense MATERIALS AND METHODS produce fruits and their seeds have a high Site selection and sampling economical value. Detarium senegalense is a The selection of the study sites was very popular fruit and its pulp is widely done in two distinct phases. In the first phase, consumed in Senegal (Diop et al. 2010). In several villages being major sources of addition, the fruit also has therapeutic supply of Detarium senegalense were properties for treating coughs, kidney pain and selected. In the second phase preliminary leprosy (Diop et al., 2010). Detarium surveys (prospective study) were carried out senegalense is used for its medicinal to choose the interested villagers to study in properties and sale of seeds is said to be terms of resources (Loubelo, 2012). The economically promising (Atato et al., 2010). main criteria for village selection are (i) the The pulp of Detarium senegalense (green) is geographical location of the village in used to relieve cough in Senegal and Guinea relation to ecological zones for Togo: II (dry (Lykke, 2000). In Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, zone of the littoral), IV (forest zone) and V they are used in local friction against the evils (southern coastal zone), (ii) the accessibility of chronic kidney and back pain (Ambé, of local populations to forest containing 2001). Although there is little information on Detarium senegalense and (iii) the harvesting the nutritional composition of Detarium and trade of the species seeds by the senegalense fruit, it seems to be a very healthy villagers. The data collected are from sixteen product (Ayessou et al., 2014). According to (16) villages located in Zone II and IV (Table Diop et al. (2010), they are rich in nutrients. 1). The villages were surveyed by targeting In Togo, the seeds are subject to international the major markets representing the main trade (Atato et al., 2010). The same authors points of entry and trade of seeds. In order to have also shown that Detarium senegalense estimate the quantities of seeds collected has become a highly sought species in the during a year, information was also collected country and is the subject of collective harvest from traders who used to sell seeds in rural in which men are now involved (traditionally, markets. this activity is done by women). However, as for most of NTFPs, data and statistics on 1583 F. A. DANGBO et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 13(3): 1582-1595, 2019 Collection of socio-economic data version 12.0 for Windows was used for Data collection was based on semi- tabulation of completed questionnaires and structured interviews as well as participator socio-economic data processing. The data observations (Kothari, 2004; McLafferty, analysis was done under the Excel sheet. 2003). The semi-structured interviews were The trade of Detarium senegalense is administered to 160 collectors and traders of essentially organized in the informal sector Detarium senegalense seeds. A combination and for this reason, the quantification of the of closed and open questions was developed seeds collected and sold is not easy. The unit in order to obtain information from the of measurement for the seeds is the local collectors of Detarium senegalense seeds. bowl. To find out the weight (in kg) of a bowl These questions are related to the accessibility of Detarium senegalense, 10 bowls of the of the harvesting site of Detarium senegalense seed were weighed separately using a seeds, the quantity of seed harvested, the precision scale. Thus, the average weight of a harvest period, the price and the income bowl has been determined and equals to 3 kg. generated by the sale of Detarium senegalense The seeds of Detarium senegalense are seeds, the main actors, the exploitation of available on the market from October to April Detarium senegalense wood. The annual according to ecological zones. The selling income derived from the sale of