Socio-economic Benefits of Non-timber Forest Products to the AFCOE2M Communities of Southern Cameroon

A study was carried out in the community forest of Ebo, Medjounou and Mbamesoban communities (AFCOE2M) in the South Region of Cameroon to evaluate the contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to the people’s livelihood. The study identifies the various NTFPs used and further evaluates their socio-economic and cultural contributions in sustaining the livelihood of the AFCOE2M community. Essentially, the study assesses the exploitation and utilization of NTFPs. One Hundred and twenty five (125) individuals were randomly selected in the three villages that make up the AFCOE2M community forest. Fifty two (52) species of NTFPs of plant origin were identified, from which seven (7) were frequently used in all the three villages namely; Irvingia gabonensis, Trichoscypha acuminata, Alstonia boonei, Garcinia kola, Piper guineense, Picralima nitida, and Ricinodendron heudelotii. Results reveal that NTFPs plant parts used for consumption consist of 68% fruits, 20% seeds, 5% barks, 4% roots and 3% leaves. NTFPs used for medicinal purposes comprised of 70% barks, 16% seeds, 7% leaves, 5% fruits and 2% roots. There was a significant difference (P = 0.049) in the number of NTFP types consumed as food while that was not the case for medicinal NTFPs (P = 0.86). There was a significant difference in the number of NTFP species used for food originating from different land use types (P-value = 0.048) as well as between those used for medicinal purposes (P-value = 0.012).