ByCécile Ndjebet

Underutilized nutritious food resources: the case of forest

foods in Cameroon

African Women’s Network for Community management of Forests (REFACOF)

Moto: Securing Women’s Forest and Land Property Rights!

Creation: 27 May 2009 in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Mission: Promote women’s rights in Africa and advocate to shape policies and practices for gender equity in relation to land and forest tenure

17 Member countries from Central Africa, West Africa and Madagascar

Forest foods in Cameroon: key elements• Large variety of foods come from forests in Cameroon; but there is

very little recognition of their nutritious value; especially for wild forest food;

• Forest dwellers fully depend on forests for food, medicinal care, customary practices, water, housing, revenues, etc… ;

• Forest foods are composed of a variety of products: Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP), wild meat (bush meat), fish, etc. ;

• Wild forest foods played a very important role in the diets and health of people living in and outside forests, in both rural and urban areas;

• Rural women are key actors in forest foods collection, production, processing, marketing, consumption, etc.

Cases of underutilized Non Timber Forest Products- Bush Mango (Irvingia spp.): Irvingia gabonensis and Irvingia wombulu - Fruits, kernels, barks, seeds, and wood are used

- Consumed as juice, condiment, tickening agent, cooking oil, medecine to clean the belly of women’s who have just given birth, building materials and energy (fuelwood)

- Rich in carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins C and A and minerals (mainly iron, zinc and copper). The good fat content, mainly lipids, makes its oil suitable for frying

- The fruits of Irvingia gabonensis begin to appear in March in the Southwest Region, July in the Central Region and finally between July and August in the Southern Region

- Depending on the availability (good/bad production season), women can generate income for an average of USD2000 to USD9000 per year

- High consumer countries are Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea …

- Women are the main actors in bush mango exploitation; they used the fruits. Men are more interested with wood for construction.

- Well dried the fruit can last more than one year

- Njansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii) - Kernels are the most used

- Processed into powder or paste and used as a sauce ingredient; the oil is directly consumed or used in pharmaceuticals

- Facilitate the consumption of other foods, and directly contribute to the nutritional balance of consumers

- High protein content and rich in micro nutrients, in lipids, carbohydrates, calcium and iron

- Production period is between July and October

- Processing techniques are very difficult and remain rudimentary

- Depending on the availability (good/bad production season), women can generate income for an average of USD 1400 to USD 3500 per year

- High consumer countries are Gabon, Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea …

- The powder is packaged in bags and the kernels are preserved dried

Main factors hindering the development of the NTFPs in general- Lack of control over the production seasons due to

uncontrollable natural factors (climate change impacts)

- Insufficient and inadequate market information (quantities, quality, prices, availability and places of production) for wholesale buyers

- Poor road infrastructures and isolation of the production zones

- Lack of adequate equipments for harvesting, processing and conservation

- Trees are becoming rare and women need to work long distances into the forest

Actions to promote some underutilized key nutritious food from forest- Support the development of NTFP small scale

community/women-based enterprises:- Technical, financial, organizational, technological capacities

development mechanisms; - By-products, marketing, conservation, …

- Support value-chain development of high potential nutritious and economic NTFP- Knowledge of the products, production and processing

techniques, …

- Ensure that women especially have secure access to the resources by regulating use rights

- Develop food security regulations and strategies that include NTFP as well as forests

To promote underutilized nutritious forest foods in Cameroon, there is a need to empower the women, the key actors in this sector. Investing on women is improving household livelihood and wellbeing!

Thank you very much!