Sustainable harvest and improved livelihoods: The case of African cherry trees in Cameroon

While forests and natural landscapes provide a wealth of resources, often economic benefits are unequally divided – even when policies are in place. The field of landscape governance-value chain nexus aims to examine and improve such issues by balancing environmental conservation with economic development, particularly in areas where people’s livelihoods are closely linked to natural resources. A central question is how the governance of natural landscapes interacts with the value chains of products that come from these areas, especially in tropical regions. It is essential for understanding how different policies and initiatives – whether from governments, businesses, or local communities – affect both the environment and the lives of people who depend on these resources.

Verina Ingram, associate professor at FNP, is a key researcher in this field, focusing on how forest- and tree-based products are managed. She investigates how different ways of governing product value chains impact communities and ecosystems, exploring if the results are fair, sustainable, and beneficial for everyone involved. By using participatory methods, Ingram aims to find ways to harmonize forest conservation with sustainable trade and poverty reduction. Her work spans regions like Central and West Africa, the Amazon, and Indonesia, focusing on products such as nuts, honey, cocoa, and palm oil.

The case of the African cherry

Ingram’s work on the Afromontane tree species African cherry (Prunus africana) in Cameroon illustrates her work well. The bark of the African cherry is the main resource for prostate medications and is exported worldwide. However, excessive bark harvesting brought the species to the brink of depletion, threatening the trees, their ecosystems and the livelihoods of those dependent on the trees. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) therefore banned exports in 2007, until a national management plan would be developed and approved. In response to the ban, Ingram led a team that, for the first time, brought together all stakeholders in the value chain. With the stakeholders, such as harvesters, importers, the Cameroonian government, NGOs, researchers and community leaders, the team explored and implemented alternatives to govern harvesting the tree and montane ecosystems more sustainably. Another intended impact was to reach a more equitable distribution of benefits from bark trade.

Between 2006 and 2009, problem identification workshops and stakeholder meetings were organized to raise awareness about the over-exploitation of African cherry. These gatherings fostered a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach, acknowledging the necessity of integrating local and scientific knowledge into the reform process. Key to this initiative were inventories conducted by community groups and researchers to ascertain the status and abundance of the trees. This data eventually informed a national management plan emphasizing sustainable harvesting practices. Supported by new scientific evidence and a participatory value chain analysis, this plan laid the foundation for a revised, comprehensive governance framework. Notably, this encompassed a new system to regulate harvest of Non-Timber Forest Products among different groups of stakeholders, and revisions to community forestry regulations, directly informing updates to Cameroon’s Forestry Law and Community Forestry Act. Another notable outcome was a review documenting the current knowledge about Prunus africana to provide perspectives for sustainable trade for policymakers along the international value chain.

From research to practice

These new governance structures have yielded tangible outcomes. The Cameroonian government adopted the sustainable harvesting guidelines. Moreover, in 2010 CITES approved new, lower volume bark quota, which allowed communities to recommence harvesting. These new governance arrangements also allowed for resumption of trade and export in 2012. Up to 2020 these quotas have been updated, based on new inventories and data. Next to the successes, however, challenges remain. The new governance arrangements inadvertently altered power dynamics within the value chain, disadvantaging smaller companies and community forests in favor of larger concession holders. For example, harvesters at Mount Cameroon now harvest less, which is more sustainable, but has also decreased their annual incomes.

CITES asked Ingram to join three international meetings as an expert and her work continues to provoke and be quoted, such as in the recent book CITES as a Tool for Sustainable Development. She supervised three Cameroonian students as well who studied the African cherry, two of whom are now working with the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife and are still actively involved in governing the species, and one who obtained his PhD. Moreover, as a tribute to her work on the African cherry, Ingram was made a lifelong honorary member of the Western Highlands Conservation Network.

Making impact through interdisciplinary research

After an initial ban on bark exports, this research project collected the necessary data to set up a new governance plan, eventually allowing for resumption of harvest and trade. Bringing together all stakeholders made sure that the government was willing to adopt the new guidelines, while local harvesters gained the necessary skills to harvest sustainably. Some people dependent on African cherry harvest could retain their livelihoods, while a valuable resource for healthcare products remained available on the market.

This story clearly shows the interdependence of many different stakeholders and ecosystems, and therefore the value of interdisciplinary research. Ingram: ‘If one would only address one side of the problem, there is no overview of how all these different dynamics are affected. This research ranges from mountains in Cameroon to consumers globally, from local harvesters and communities to the national government, and encompasses fields of policy, trade, economics and ecology. Addressing all these layers increases the likelihood of positive impact, while inevitable but unintended impacts can be recognized and minimized.’ The story makes clear as well that reaching societal impact takes time. Building up different networks and developing and executing the many different research activities require dedication and patience, but in the end have the potential to make a crucial difference in people’s livelihoods and the protection of landscapes.