Enhancing the contribution of NWFP to poverty alleviation and food security in Central African countries
The Congo Basin is among the world’s major reservoirs of biological diversity and is the home of some 100 millions habitants of which the livelihoods of many depends on the forest. Large areas in Central Africa have been attributed to commercial timber exploitation or set aside as protected areas while non-wood forest products (NWFP) are of major importance for subsistence or income generation of forest dependent people with small-scale forest based enterprises playing a key role in commercialization.
Despite their importance and significant potential in the fight against poverty, NWFP are hardly visible in the national economy statistics. In addition, the NWFP sector is mostly informal with an inappropriate legal, institutional and organizational framework.
Facts about the project
The project contributes to poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management in Central Africa in general and specifically in Gabon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo through the valorisation of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) by local people.
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| 4 June 2012 Towards the integration of the right to adequate food in policies, laws and programmes promoting and governing the sector of non-wood forest products in Central Africa. The report of the Second Meeting of COMIFAC’s Sub-working group on Non-wood forest products within the Working group on Biodiversity held in Brazzaville, Congo from 11 to 13 April 2012 is available online (language: French). [more] |
| 28 September 2011 In order to offer alternatives to the collection of Gnetum spp. lianas (okok/koko/eru/foumbwa) in the forest, in May and June 2011, FAO organized three trainings on Gnetum spp. domestication in Congo and Central African Republic. The trainings were facilitated by the Centre for Nursery Development and Eru Propagation (CENDEP) coming from Limbe in Cameroon. Follow the link for more information. [more] |
| 6 July 2011 From 25 to 28 August 2011 and in the framework of the International Year of Forests 2011, experts from Central Africa will gather in Boali, Central African Republic to hold the first meeting of the regional sub-working group on non-wood forest products. The meeting is organized by COMIFAC with the support of FAO, CEEAC and GIZ and will allow decision makers and experts to exchange with local producer of forest products on their contribution to food security. COMIFAC’s Convergence Plan will be analyzed to better understand if non-wood forest products are properly taken into account by the plan and national forest programs. [more] |
| 15 June 2011 We are seeking an international consultant for the project's mid-term review from August to October 2011. [more] |
| 5 May 2011 Watch FAO's video about the methodology "Market Analysis and Development" applied in forest-based communities in Bas-Congo, DRC supported by FAO's project GCP/RAF/408/EC (financed by the European Union). The MA&D approach is as well applied in Gabon, Central African Republic and Congo with the support of FAO's project GCP/RAF/441/GER. [more] |
| 28 April 2011 From 1 to 4 March 2011 was held in Douala, the eleventh session of COMIFAC’s Working group on Biodiversity during which the Sub-working group on Non-wood forest products was established. For a beginning, FAO ensures the facilitation of this sub-working group that aims at contributing to a better use of NWFP in Central Africa through exchange, debates and analyses between stakeholders of various backgrounds on strategic topics for the promotion of small and medium scale enterprises based on NWFP and for the elaboration and implementation of strategies and policies for the NWFP’s sector development. [more] |
| 13 October 2010 Mid-october 2010, FAO's Central African projects on non wood forest products and FAO's Right to Food Team organize a study tour and training with participants from 10 countries in the Congo Basin in order to sensitize decision makers how the legal and institutional framework governing the NWFP sector in Cameroon and Gabon influence livelihoods of local producers and traders. Participants will learn about the linkage between non wood forest products, food security and right to food and will discuss on a regional toolbox on how to implement the right to food in the Central African NWFP sector. [more] |
| 27 April 2010 Team members of two FAO projects on non-wood forest products in five Central African countries (GCP/RAF/441/GER and GCP/RAF/408/EC) participate at the XXIII IUFRO World Congress in August 2010 in Seoul. Ousseynou Ndoye, Juliane Masuch and William Mala will make presentations on different issues related to non wood forest products in Central Africa e.g. the influence of regulatory policies on the development of non wood forest products based enterprises; the contribution of these products to food security and poverty alleviation as well as domestications of trees and local knowledge. In addition, William coordinates together with two other forestry researchers a session on challenges and opportunities for traditional forest related knowledge in Africa. [more] |
| 27 April 2010 The project "Enhancing the contribution of non wood forest products to poverty alleviation and food security in Central African countries" (GCP/RAF/441/GER), started in July 2009, published its website offering information on the project's framework, objectives and activities on regional level with COMIFAC and on national level in Gabon, Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. [more] |
