Domestication, Utilization and Marketing of Indigenous Fruit Trees in West and Central Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 179

9.6 Impact of Participatory Tree Domestication on the Livelihood
of Local Populations

Tree domestication for non-timber forest products is advocated as a potential way
of helping farmers improve their livelihoods in an environmentally sustainable
manner. Eight years after the programme was launched, a study was conducted to
assess the potential of tree domestication in the improvement of rural livelihoods
in Lekie Assi and Belo villages in the Centre and Northwest provinces of
Cameroon. The study drew on the theoretical models of impact assessment and
the livelihood frame, and combined both quantitative and qualitative research
methods. The results clearly indicate that participatory tree domestication has
effectively resulted in the adaptation of horticultural vegetative propagation
techniques (rooting of cuttings, marcotting and grafting) to the multiplication,
selection and mass production of high-value fruit trees. This approach has
permitted the selection and maintenance of fruit traits (taste, size, fleshiness) over
generations, shortened the gestation (waiting) period (for example, the gestation
period for Dacryodes edulis has fallen from 7 to 3 years) and contributed to a
halving of tree height compared with trees propagated by seeds.
Tree nursery activities also generated respectively US$25,000 and US$3000
for farmers in Belo and Lekie Assi over a period of 3 years. Farm families used a
large proportion of this income for children's school fees and other needs for the
household. Financial analysis of the vegetative propagation and tree nursery
demonstrated the profitability of the technology. The net present value (NPV) of
Lekie Assi nursery under current management conditions, is US$1000, with an
internal rate of return (IRR) of 54% (Tables 9.2 and 9.3), while the NPV of Belo
nursery is US$2600 with an IRR of 58% (Tables 9.4 and 9.5).
Some 30 and 13% of farmers in Lekie Assi and Belo, respectively, are
successfully applying the technology to the production of fruit for household
consumption. In 2006, more than 100 and 300 farmers have been trained in
tree domestication techniques in Lekie Assi and Belo, respectively. Farmers
have a good grasp of tree domestication techniques and use their skills to
attract visitors, foreigners and students, and to gain honorific titles, awards,
grants and popularity in their community. With the adoption of tree
domestication, two medicinal plants, Prunus africana and Pausinystalia
johimbe , and three fruit trees, Irvingia gabonensis , Dacryodes edulis and

Table 9.2. Net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return for Lekie Assi nursery.

Year

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Total cash outflow 877,700 380,627 329,502 351,875 355,205

Total cash inflow 0 1,029,500 805,000 885,000 974,000

Net cash flow 877,700 648,873 475,498 533,125 618,795

NPV (20%) 500,143

Internal rate of return 54%