The local and regional trade in NWFPs is generally not quantified, despite the high value of many forest products. The current CARPE research initiative, entailing a year-long study of a wide range of markets, seeks to address this by determining the importance of traded NWFPs throughout the region, and to identify those that are in increasing demand and under the threat of endangerment through over-harvesting. This paper presents the preliminary results of the Libreville portion of this regional study and is based on the methodology outlined in the CARPE training course held in February 1998 (see Clark and Sunderland, this volume).
Key words: Libreville, Gabon, non-wood forest products, markets
The preliminary survey was carried out in the centre and in the northern suburbs of Libreville. Three main markets were sampled. In terms of surface area and the number of traders, Mont Bouët is the most important market in the city. There are also many informal pharmacies (stalls for medicinal plants) in this market. Nkembo, strewn chaotically on and near the roadside, is the second most important market with about three hundred and fifty traders. Akebé is located in the most populated quarter of Libreville, and the market there is characterised by the presence of many stalls of nkumu (Gnetum africanum). Other forest product based industries such as rattan artisan workshops are also present close to these markets. The sale of vast quantities of palm wine is ubiquitous to all three markets.
The basic methodology implemented during this study was based on that described by Clark and Sunderland (this volume). Investigators from the Centre d'Actions pour le Développement Durable et l'Environnement (CADDE) utilised the questionnaire and interviewed as representative a number and group within the markets as possible. In general, traders provided local names, making species' identification easier; however, samples were also collected for authoritative identification.
For the quantification of the major NWFPs in the markets, three basic criteria were applied:
· the abundance of the products on stalls (the case of Gnetum africanum);
· the frequency of the product (chewing stick);
· the combination of the former criteria (Irvingia gabonensis).
The following list of the most commonly sold products is not exhaustive and will be modified as more surveys take place. Because of the seasonal differences in product availability to be found in the markets throughout the year, the list will undoubtedly vary in terms of the species and quantity of products sold.
Megaphrynium macrostachyum leaves are used mostly to wrap cassava stick (bâton de manioc); a minimum of two leaves are necessary to wrap one cassava stick. The increasing demand for this low-cost food means that there is a high consumption of leaves. The leaves of this species and other Marantaceae are said to give a special taste to some food and is the reason why they are preferred to bananas leaves (Musa spp.).
Table 1: List of the most commonly sold products in the Libreville markets
Scientific name |
Local name (in Fang, unless stated otherwise) |
Used part |
Utilisation |
Irvingia gabonensis |
andok |
Kernel |
Condiment |
Megaphrynium macrostachyum |
ngungu |
Leaves |
Wrapping |
Gnetum africanum |
nkumu |
Leaves |
Vegetables |
Garcinia klainiana |
wali or bitter wood |
Bark |
Palm wine additive |
Cola spp. |
Fruits |
Stimulant | |
Enantia chlorantha |
nfoo |
Bark |
Medicinal |
Aframomum spp. |
esson, ndong |
Seed |
Condiment/Medicinal |
Scorodophloeus zenkeri |
arbre a ail |
Bark, seed |
Condiment |
Unidentified |
Chewing stick |
Oral hygiene | |
Elaeis guineensis |
oil palm |
Fruit, sap, heart |
Oil, wine, food |
Duboscia macrocarpa |
akac |
Fruit |
Medicinal, (magic) |
Ricinodendron heudelotii |
essessang mughele (Bapounou) |
Bark, root, seeds |
Condiment; protection against evil spirits |
Nkumu (Gnetum africanum) is a large component of the trade in leafy vegetables in all markets in Libreville (except the Nkembo market) and is widely appreciated in fish and meat sauces. It is sold in packets, finely-chopped and ready for cooking. Wild yam leaves (Dioscorea dumetorum), unidentified fern leaves and cultivated vegetables, such as young cassava leaves, are also commonly seen.
There is a strong seasonal influence on the availability of some forest fruits. Mangoes (Mangifera indica) are very abundant from December to March, whilst the bush plum (Dacryodes edulis) dominates the market in June-August. There are also a number of wild forest fruit commonly in the market and these include onzabili (Antrocaryon klaineanum) offos (Pseudospondias longifolia) and the highly-appreciated Aframomum spp..
Irvingia gabonensis kernels are the most common NWFP in all three markets and are available throughout the year. They are commonly imported from Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, as well as originating from the forests of Gabon. This wide source of material ensures that a year-round supply is available. Irvingia gabonensis fruits are not often consumed when fresh. The kernels are dried, toasted, pounded and then moulded to form a cake called 'odika bread'. This can weigh between 100 to 5 000 grams and is sold for CFA francs 1 000 to 25 000, or for CFA francs 500 per glass of 'odika bread' powder. Raphia hookeri fruits are cooked and eaten by people of the Fang tribe and are commonly found in the markets. Coula edulis fruits are also widely sold when in season and are generally consumed as a snack.
Gabonese use Afrostyrax lepidophilus seeds and bark as a garlic substitute. Ricinodendron heudelotii seeds (essessang) are also used as a condiment. African expatriates use Monodora myristica as a condiment, while Gabonese attribute the species with magical attributes in traditional medicine. This is also the case with the fruits of Afromomum spp. and Piper guineensis.
In the Libreville markets, most of the fuelwood sold is scrap from nearby sawmills. The primary species is okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana). A second often sold fuelwood species is okala (Xylopia aethiopica), the bark of which is also used to wrap okoumé resin for the manufacture of torches. Fishermen use mangrove wood (Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia nitida) to smoke fish.
The small diameter cane, Eremospatha macrocarpa is extensively used for basket work. In furniture manufacturing, this species is used to tie larger rattan canes together, and for weaving chair seats. The large diameter cane, Laccosperma secundiflorum, is bent with the help of welding-torch to form the framework needed for furniture manufacture. The supply channels of rattan are well organised. Men intensively harvest it in the forest around Libreville and sell it to wholesale desks or to craftsmen in rattan workshops. African expatriates (usually natives of Niger, Equatorial Guinea or Cameroon) have created workshops where young Gabonese are employed. The work is undertaken on a commission-only basis and, consequently, it is difficult to quantify monthly consumption. Craftsmen make big profits through rattan processing activities. In addition to the rattan stems being harvested the apical bud is also widely collected and eaten, particularly in the south west of Gabon. These hearts of palm are called mikandas or "asparagus".
A considerable proportion of Libreville's population cannot buy Western pharmaceutical products because they are too expensive. Instead, they use the medicinal plants used by the rural population in traditional medicine. To identify the most commonly sold medicinal plants, a number of "pharmacies" were surveyed separately.
Palm wine markets are places ironically called "reunion des parents d'élèves" (student's parents meeting). These markets are commonly found at crossroads or junctions. This drink, extracted from Elaeis guineensis, is in high demand; it is not rare to see twenty to thirty persons around a seller (usually a woman) with molorolla (palm wine). In terms of quantity, the palm wine tapped after felling of the tree is the most common (i.e. the wine tapped from Elaeis guineensis). An adult palm tree can produce up to 4 litres/day for the first four days of tapping and 1 litre/day then on. The average duration for the viable tapping of a palm for wine production is three weeks. It should be noted that if the palm wine is not sold by the second day, it is sold on to merchants from Benin or Ghana who distil a stronger drink.
The wine of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) is from Mouila, a town in the south of the country. It is sold at CFA 400 per litre. Palm wine and sugar cane wine are soaked with Garcinia lucida bark in cans to make the wine stronger. Women from West Africa produce 'makita', a drink made of water, sugar and ginger roots.
Except for Gnetum africanum leaves, the majority of NWFPs available in the Libreville markest are sold by African expatriates, and the trade in NWFPs is almost exclusively undertaken by non-Gabonese. However, it is essential to involve local populations in the protection of the environment because they are ultimately dependent on it. There is adequate provision for the control of the exploitation of forest products in the Forestry Law 1/82, article 16, which states that: ".....no person can exploit or harvest forest products free of charge, and without prior permit delivered by the Forestry Administration. The type of permit and certificate of exploitation, and the procedure of their delivery are defined through statute." Unfortunately, lack of trained personnel and control ensures that these laws are often not satisfactorily implemented.
Although providing a source of well-being and improving the economic revenues of rural populations, many of the NWFPs listed above are threatened by unsustainable methods of exploitation. Some NWFPs have become so lucrative that urban exploiters use technology to more efficiently exploit the resource (e.g. the use of refrigerated trucks for bushmeat hunting). With this increasing demand, the wild populations of these species resources are drying up, and it is now necessary for many harvesters to travel further and further into the forest to obtain the products. The involvement of rural populations in the management of NWFPs, for both moral and cultural reasons, is necessary, and the forthcoming forestry legislation will make this possible. (See Profizi, this volume.) In addition, further knowledge of the marketing channels for different NWFPs will help encourage the equitable sharing of revenues, ensuring that local communities benefit from the sustainable exploitation and management of their forest resources.
Bourobou, H.B. & H.P. Mounzeo. 1997. Plantes utilisées comme poison de pêche chez les PUNU du Gabon. Le Flamboyant No. 44, 17 - 18.
Chabot, I. 1997. Etude de la filière des produits forestiers non ligneux au Gabon. Rapport de mémoire DESS CIRAD-Forêt, PAFT Gabon Libreville.
Clark, L. & N. Tchamou. 1998. La recherche sur les produits forestiers non ligneux en Afrique Centrale, la situation du secteur. Rapport pour CARPE.
Ndoye, O., M.R. Perez & A. Eyebe. 1997. The markets for non-timber forest products in the humid Forest zone of Cameroon. ODI Rural Development Series. No.22. ODI. London.
Sunderland, T.C.H. 1998. Preliminary market survey of the non-wood forest products of Rio Muni, Equatorial Guinea. CARPE (USA) and CUREF (Equatorial Guinea).
Raponda-Walker, A. & R. Sillans. 1961. Les plantes utiles du Gabon. Lechevalier, Paris. 614 pp.
White, L. & K. Abernethy. 1997. A Guide to the vegetation of the Lope Reserve Gabon. Wildlife Conservation Society, Libreville.
