Domesticating indigenous fruit trees & medicinal plants for poverty alleviation in West and Central Africa World Agroforestry Centre Zac Tchoundjeu ICRAF, P.O.Box 2067 Yaounde Cameroon Tel: , Fax: ;

Presentation outline Background ICRAF approach Technology developed Conclusion

1. BACKGROUND ICRAF’s MISSION: - REDUCE RURAL POVERTY - INCREASE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY -ENHANCE ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE IN THE TROPICS THROUGH IMPROVED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS

In Africa alone Nearly one billion ha of forest has gone 1.2 Peoples impact on land is changing

1.3 Trees are special Trees provide numerous products and services 90% of all terrestrial biodiversity is in forests Trees are the largest and oldest organisms There are more than 60,000 species of tree Two thirds of medicinal plants are trees (P. africana) 51% of wood is carbon

1.4 Numbers of people are changing YEAR Population YEAR Population 18051,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000, ,000,000,000 To ensure a prosperous 21 st Century for all we need to address issues of poverty and resource access

State of Rural Poverty in West and Central Africa

Economic Potential of indigenous fruit trees and medicinal plants Species US$ price /kg Wt. Traded (tonnes) Value trade US$ R. hedelotii I. gabonensis D. edulis C. acuminata Others Total for non-timber forest products Table 1: Market details of four non-timber forest products in Cameroon over a period of 6 months (Ndoye, 1995).

2. APPROACH: Participative tree domestication Conventional or Classical approach –Progeny trials –Biophysical and phenological assessments ICRAF approach - Priority setting (farmer participation) - Germplasm collection priority species - Development of vegetative propagation techniques - On-station and on-farm trials selected species - Marketing development for maximizing farmer family income - Capacity building (Training farmers, NGOs)

2.2 PRIORITY SPECIES FOR THE REGION Fruit tree species: I. gabonensis (Andok), D. edulis (Safou) R. heudelotii (Njanssang), G. kola (Bitter cola) C. albidum (Star apple), C. nitida (Cola) Medicinal plants P. africana (Pygeum), P. johimbe (Yohimbe) Vegetable G. africanum (Okok)

Priority species for West and Central Africa

rooting cuttings How to multiply the selected species: rooting cuttings

air layering How to multiply the selected species: air layering

A marcott of Dacryodes edulis fruiting after 1.5 year

3.1 Partnership ICRAF Farmer’s Groups NGOs Partnership: ICRAF, NGOs, Farmers Groups

Develop entrepreneurial spirit in pilot villages

4.0 Market Driven  Participatory approach beginning from the producers’ perspective but including market conditions and consumer preferences.  Seek to add value to farmers NTFP products.  Encourage group farmer marketing activities.  Empower farmers through increased knowledge and skills.

5.0 Continuous Training -Group training (Farmers, NGOs, Extension Agents) -Degree training (Students from Universities) -Information exchange (Farmers groups) - Extension pamphlets produced on various themes

Cameroon:10 villages Southeast Nigeria: 4 villages Gabon: 1 village Equatorial Guinea: 2 villages Pilot village sites

Conclusion - A good base for tree domestication is well established - Farmers already generating some revenues from production and sale of improved fruit trees - Diversification through use of indigenous fruit trees seems to be one of the best bet to fight poverty in rural areas under more stable environment. -Technology ready for scaling up -Many thanks to IFAD, DFID, Governments of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, for funding the present project.