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Pillar of Sustainable Economic Development in Woleu-Ntem

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Pillar of Sustainable Economic Development in Woleu-Ntem COCOA UNDER SHADE: Full cost 60,000 euros PILLAR OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC Annual net cost after tax deduction 12,000 euros DEVELOPMENT IN WOLEU-NTEM Duration 2 years In northern Gabon, the 8000-km² Minkébé National Park is part of the TRIDOM landscape, a significant reservoir of biodiversity considered as the “green lung” of Africa. It is of critical importance to support populations living in its periphery towards a sustainable economic development and to fight against deforestation. The climate in this region is LIBREVILLE particularly conducive to cocoa cultivation. The objective of the project is to support farmers in implementing a «zero defores- tation» agroforestry, associating cocoa and shade trees species having an added economic va- lue. GABON A project implemented by : © 2.bp.blogspot.com © lemonde.fr The site and its biodiversity On the other hand, unbridled logging by and non-timber forest products. large operators causes the destruction of In northern Gabon, the Woleu-Ntem pro- ecosystems, directly impacting people • Promote profitable and quality pro- vince has seen its working population de- who are almost never consulted and do duction through the provision of pleted due to rural exodus. not benefit from economic spinoffs. equipment and plant material and the capacity building of 50 producers on In this territory covered by equatorial fo- Committed partners best agricultural practices. rest is located the Minkébé National Park; a vast protected area of 8,000 km² of forest Created in 1998, the NGO Brainforest is a • Structure producers by setting up 2 punctuated by isolated hills and marshy major player in the Gabonese civil society cooperatives and train them on mana- glades. working on forest and environment issues. gement and marketing. The Minkébé Park forms with the Odza- Brainforest’s «On Mange Local» depart- • Analyze non-timber forest products la-Kokoua National Park in the Republic ment’s mission is to preserve food secu- available in the park and its periphery, of Congo and the Dja Wildlife Reserve in rity by promoting local agriculture based which can be processed into oil or but- Cameroon, the TRIDOM landscape (TRI- on healthy and environmentally-friendly ter and which have significant outlets nationale of Dja, Odzala and Minkébé), production. on local and international markets. which is recognized as key for the conser- vation of the Congo Basin’s dense forests. The NGO Brainforest has an in-depth knowledge of the target area and its com- Major Issues munities, with which they have already worked for several years. Agriculture is the main activity in the Woleu-Ntem province. The development The project and the prospects for of cocoa cultivation in the 1970s allowed change many families to assert themselves social- ly and economically. To fight against deforestation and poverty, the project aims at improving the produc- Today, cocoa cultivation in the region is tivity of cocoa farms and encouraging stagnating or even in decline. agroforestry for a high quality and sustai- New government policies support the nable cacao production without deforesta- exploitation of natural resources such as tion. timber, neglecting agriculture. Shade-grown cocoa is recognized for its Producers have no technical support, and superior quality, which will allow pro- the Stabilization and Equalization Fund ducers to access a reliable and profitable (CAISTAB), which collects cocoa on credit, market. lags far behind - up to 7 months - before The specific objectives of the project are paying its debt to producers... the following: Many of them have abandoned cocoa • Improve productivity by rehabilita- cultivation in the province, but some per- ting 100 ha of old plantations and crea- severe despite the difficulties encountered. ting 4 hectares of new agroforestry plantations associated with timber .
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