Abstract
Cultivation of non-wood forest products (NWFP), although a veritable means of ecosystem and biodiversity conservation and improved natural resource management, has not been sustained in southern Nigeria (Nigeria’s major forest region) notwithstanding the unprecedented rate of depletion of the resource in the wild. For example, efforts in the past to support cultivation of NWFP in southern Nigeria under a USAID funded Cross River State forestry project, especially through nursery establishment for some rural communities, was not sustained as the initiative was abandoned by the participants. Hence to promote cultivation of NWFP, this study ascertained socioeconomic factors that influence cultivation of NWFPs. Multi stage sampling technique was used in selection of respondents (households) from two States: Cross River and Enugu States of southern Nigeria. A sample size of 400 households was used for the study. Probit and multinomial logistic regressions were used in estimating NWFP cultivation. The findings show that cultivation of NWFP was positively determined by gender, farming occupation (especially of women farmers) distance to forests where NWFP was collected, proportion of household food from NWFP, and medium wealth category. Age had a negative effect on cultivation until the age of 46 after which the effect became positive. In addition, household size, gender and farming occupation of household heads positively influenced cultivation of NWFP in plantations as against home gardens while gender and farming occupation had positive effect on cultivation of some stands of NWFP as against home gardens. Incorporating the findings of this study in future intervention project for NWFP cultivation will help sustain the initiative.
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Abbreviations
- AERC:
-
African Economic Research Consortium
- AFORNET:
-
African Forestry Research Network
- CARPE:
-
Central African Regional Program for the Environment
- CBD:
-
Convention on Biological Diversity
- CIFOR:
-
Centre for International Forestry Research
- FAO:
-
Food and Agriculture Organization
- NAFDAC:
-
National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control
- NTFP:
-
Non-timber forest products
- NWFP:
-
Non-wood forest products
- ODA:
-
Overseas Development Administration
- ODI:
-
Overseas Development Institute
- OFI:
-
Oxford Forestry Institute
- USAID:
-
United States Agency for International Development
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The author gratefully acknowledge the financial and technical support from African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and African Forestry Research Network (AFORNET)
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Chukwuone, N.A. Socioeconomic determinants of cultivation of non-wood forest products in southern Nigeria. Biodivers Conserv 18, 339–353 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9489-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9489-y