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PRUNUS AFRICANA HARVEST ON MOUNT CAMEROON AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
By Tieguhong Julius Chupezi, Ousseynou Ndoye and Mambo Okenye
In Cameroon, World Bank Development Indicators show that some 40% of the population still lives on less than one dollar a day. This article provides evidence that investment in developing forest assets and markets can be a cost-effective way of contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – by improving poor people's access to better education, nutrition, healthcare, housing, sanitation, potable water, electricity and sustainable income opportunities. Out of the eight MDGs which aim for a total 18 targets, this article is directly relevant to four goals (1, 2, 7 and 8) and eight targets (1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12 and 18).
Around Mount Cameroon, harvesting Prunus africana bark is a lucrative livelihood activity for local people. In light of this, nine villages have set up the community-based organization, the Mount Cameroon Prunus Management Common Initiative Group (MOCAP-CIG). Members of the group are able to earn an average US$10.8 a day for every 32 kg of bark collected. Non-members, however, have been found to earn between US$6.4 and US$9.6 for the same quantity and quality of bark.
Prunus revenue and household development
In the first eight months of MOCAP-CIG's existence, members earned an average US$533 (with individual incomes ranging from US$249 to US$846). During this period and for the remaining four months of the year, many harvesters were engaged in additional income generating activities (e.g. farming, trading, fuelwood gathering). The average income earned from Prunus harvesting alone is already very close to Cameroon's GNI of US$550 – and is therefore, a very encouraging achievement.
To assess the poverty reduction potential of Prunus revenues, each harvester's monthly income from Prunus was calculated over a period of eight months. The result showed an average monthly income of US$67 with a variation from US$31 to US$106 – implying an income of at least one dollar a day. The potential for poverty reduction (in line with the first MDG of halving extreme poverty by 2015) is clear.
Revenue generated from Prunus sales has been used to improve conditions at both an individual and community level. The results of a survey show that individuals have used their income to support a variety of livelihood and development functions: sending children to school (71%), building a house/ toilet (51%), buying food/drink/medicine (40%), buying a radio/TV/cell phone (41%), buying clothes/shoes (8%), and marriage/ family care (3%).
These statistics help us identify the ways in which Prunus harvesting is contributing to the MDGs: An overwhelming 71% of harvesters use revenue from Prunus harvesting to send their children to school, indicating the high value attributed to education. At a local level, this is an important step in supporting the second MDG of achieving universal primary education by 2015.
It is widely agreed that well-fed and healthy people can make a greater contribution to economic development (Commission for Africa, 2005). The fact that 40% of harvesters use Prunus revenue to buy food, drinks or medicine indicates the importance of Prunus to household economies. This bears a direct relevance on the first MDG which seeks to reduce by half the number of people suffering from hunger, and is also of significance to the health-related MDGs (4, 5 and 6).
In most rural areas in Cameroon, only 33% and 41% of the population have access to improved sanitation and improved drinking water respectively (WHO/UNICEF, 2004). However, 51% of harvesters reported using their Prunus income to build better houses and toilets and 8% used some of their money for personal hygiene (buying clothes and shoes). As indicated below, villages in the area with limited or no potable water identified water projects as a high priority. Individual and community use of Prunus revenue to improve access to clean water will help achieve the MDG indicators on health (goals 4, 5 and 6) and safe water provision (goal 7, target 10).
Target 18 (attached to the eighth MDG) seeks to make the benefits of new technologies available – especially information and communications technologies. The Prunus harvesters are beginning to realize this goal for themselves – as demonstrated by the fact that 41% have used some of their income to buy a radio/ TV/cell phone.
Prunus revenue and community development
In accordance with MOCAP-CIG's benefitsharing scheme, 15.4% of Prunus revenue
is allocated to the village development fund, 69.2% to individual harvesters, 11.55% for MOCAP-CIG's management and monitoring activities and 3.85% for government tax. Out of the 15.4% community share, 90% is shared equally among the various development projects of member villages, 7.5% is shared between the natural resource custodians (chiefs) and the remaining 2.5% is given as compensation to the village hosting the harvesters over any given period (Tieguhong et al, 2005; Tieguhong and Ndoye, 2006).
Revenue generated from harvesting the first 100 tons of Prunus under the scheme, led to the allocation of US$66.7 to each custodian, and US$800 to each village for development projects agreed upon by the villagers. Several of these projects are now coming to fruition. Villagers reported that they would like to see funds spent on the following types of projects: community hall (56%), potable water (33%), electricity (11%), health center (11%), building a market (11%), building a school (11%) and others (22%) (Tieguhong and Ndoye, 2006).
When the villagers were asked why they had identified the construction of a community hall as a priority (rather than a school or hospital) they responded that they needed a venue to hold discussions on their common development goals and how to reach them. It is clear from this that local level commitment and enthusiasm is essential for securing not only village development goals but also global targets such as the MDGs. In rural villages around Mount Cameroon, Prunus harvesting is supporting achievements in both of these areas.
References
Commission for Africa. 2005. Our Common Interest. Report of the Commission for Africa. March. 462 pp.
Tieguhong J.C. and O. Ndoye. 2006. Commercialization of Prunus africana (African Cherry): impacts on poverty alleviation in Cameroon. Presented at the 15 th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission. Workshop on forestry, wildlife and poverty alleviation in Africa 27-28 March 2006, Maputo, Mozambique.
Tieguhong J. C., O. Ndoye, and E. J. Ekati. 2005. Community-based NTFP production and trade for rural poverty alleviation and resource conservation: Case of Prunus africana on Mount Cameroon, Cameroon. Paper presented at the International Symposium on NTFPs in Victoria, Canada. 25-27 August.'
WHO/UNICEF. 2004. Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply & Sanitation; Meeting the MDG drinking water and sanitation target: a mid-term assessment of progress. 36pp.
World Bank. 2004. The Little Green Data Book. Millennium Development Goals and World Development Indicators. P.56.
Further information:
Tieguhong Julius Chupezi and Ousseynou Ndoye
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Central Africa Regional Office
BP 2008, Messa
Yaounde, Cameroon
Phone: +237 2237522
Fax: +237 2237437
Email: J.tieguhong@cgiar.org and o.ndoye@cgiar.org
Mambo Okenye
GTZ Office
Buea South West Province
Cameroon
Phone: +237 7665644
Email: mambookenye@yahoo.com