This case study is one of a series of publications produced by the Forest Products Service of FAO in an effort to promote environmentally sound forest harvesting and engineering practices. The purpose of these studies is to highlight both the promise of environmentally sound forest harvesting technologies as a component of sustainable forest management, and the constraints that must be overcome in order to assure widespread adoption of those technologies. This study seeks to address the above concerns by examining the impact of timber harvesting in two villages, one in Cameroon and one in the Central African Republic. It documents many plant-based and animal-based NWFPs of great significance to the livelihoods of the local populations in terms of food security, income generation and health. With regard to the impact of logging on NWFP availability, the study concludes that the greatest impacts have been on tree species with NWFP values that are extracted by the timber companies. The forest of the Congo Basin is a major economic asset for national governments, local communities and economic operators. With the drive towards sustainable forest management, it would be ethical to take into consideration all stakeholders in designing policy, management and control tools that minimize the negative impacts of logging and encourage multiple benefits from a greater array of forest products.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Africa

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
Production