Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Exploitation and Household Uses in Bui Division, North West Cameroon

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Exploitation and Household Uses in Bui Division, North West Cameroon

Dimanche Ndifon Kengah*, Ibrahim Nformi Manu, Daniel Mbu Tambi
Department of Rural Socio-Economics and Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon
*Corresponding author

Abstract:-This study was carried out in Oku, Bui Division, North West Cameroon with the aim of examining the uses of four selected Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) (Fuel wood, Alpine bamboo, Honey, and Bushmeat-Rodents) by households. Data were collected from randomly selected 400 households in 8 villages using semi-structured questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that Fuelwood was most exploited by Households (80.75%), followed by Alpine bamboo (68.5%), Honey (50%) and Rodents (38%). A great number of households exploited all the four NTFPs under review (20.75%). Just a few households collected only one NTFP (24.25%) while 75.75% collect at least two NTFPs. NTFPs were mostly collected in the households for both consumption and commercial purposes (90.5%), while 9.5% were collected for consumption purposes only. No households indicated that they collected NTFPs for commercial purposes only. The NTFPs were mainly used by Households for food, medicine, construction, culture and as tools, with “tools only” being the greatest use. From field findings, it can be concluded that respondents could not do without these NTFPs in their daily domestic activities as they serve as sources of food, medicine, income and thus means of livelihood. We therefore recommend that households should exploit sustainably and the government and NGOs should keep educating households on more sustainable ways of using the forest.

Keywords: non-timber forest products, households, utilization, livelihood, exploitation.

I. INTRODUCTION

Forests have value to people and contribute to meeting human needs in a number of ways. The importance of NTFPs to the rural livelihoods of rural people is widely acknowledged globally (Mahonya et al., 2019). Numerous previous studies have found that it is often the poorest people and households that are most dependent on these resources. NTFPs are now even perceived to be of importance to some local and national economies as well as being important elements in sustainable forestry and for their “contribution to environmental objectives, including the conservation of biological diversity” (FAO, 2003).

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