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FAO & FAP NGO ACTIVITIES

Introduction
 Forest and Agroforestry Promoters ( FAP NGO Cameroon) was created in May 2001 by indigenes of the North West Region who have interest in the sustainable management of natural resources. The organization is registered with the government of Cameroon with reference number:137/E31/067/SCAB in 2004
FAP’s mission is to promote the sustainable management of the natural resources in the Western highlands of Cameroon.
This presentation is as a result of a rapid survey by FAP NGO Cameroon on the evolation of Stakeholders in the NTFP sector in North West Region after the project Mobilisation and capacity building for small and medium size enterprises involved in the Non timber forest products in central Africa.(projet GCP/RAF/408/EC)
FAP was one of the main facilitating Organizations for this project in the North West Region.
During the preliminary planning meeting of the Market Analysis and Development in April 2007 in Ndop with the local representative of FAO for the North West Region and after the field trips to appraise the products, communities in Ngoketunjia Division with the different NTFPs. The first and second phase of the MA&D process was carried out in the following Village communities; Bafanji, Baligashu, Babessi, Baba 1 and Bamali Village communities.
FAP implemented the phase two with 5 identified target communities from the above mentioned communities within Ngoketunjia Division. These communities came out with 07 groups that were formed around the different products using the four areas of market analysis and development. Before the end of phase II 07 groups were formed around two main products voacanga and Honey. Three of the groups were invited to attend the phase III workshop in Bamenda on the Drawing of Enterprise development plans.
Identified groups grouped around voacanga and Honey
  • Bamali Agroforestry group Ndop Central subdivision
  • Njipiak Agroforestry group Baba I Babessi Subdivision
  • Pondue Agroforestry group Baba I Babessi Subdivision
  • Woshichoh Agroforestry group Babessi Subdivision
  • Momboh Agroforestry group Balikumbat Subdivision
  • Baligashu Agroforestry group Balikumbat Subdivision
  • Mbongkoh Agroforestry group Ndop central Subdivision
These groups have received trainings on establishing an Enterprise Development plans, Tree nursery establishment and group dynamics given by FAP, Icraft and SNV.
The group leaders had also received training on Market information system.
The goal of the project is to increase revenue for individual and organized groups of high value Non Wood Forest Products (NWFP) while enhancing Sustainable management practices through five complementary outcomes defined as follows:
i)                    Improved entrepreneurial and marketing skills of actors;
ii)                   Improved sustainable production techniques;
iii)                 Improved processing for value additions of priority NWFP;
iv)                 Enhanced access to market information and credit facilities to actors;
v)                   Improved institutional setting and enabling policies.
Realizations by FAP in Ngoketunjia Division
1.      Seven groups were formed and trained in the Market Analysis and Development Methods
2.      Seven groups were legalized as Agroforestry enterprises.  
3.      Seven groups Enterprise Development plans were drawn and the were linked to financial institutions
4.      Ten tones of voacanga seeds sold through the introduction of Market Information System.
5.      Four groups supported with office and nursery equipments.
6.      Twenty five thousands voacanga tree seedlings raised and planted amongst the four groups.
7.      Two groups amongst the seven groups used their Enterprise development plans to obtain loan of two million from Micro finance institution MC2
8.      More than 500 community members are now employed directly or indirectly by the impact of the project activities in the division.
9.      Most of the groups involved in the project has step up their living standards from intensive business in the NTFP sector.

Results of the SWOT analysis for stakeholders in the NTFP sector in  North West Region

Strengths
  1. Most NTFP dependent communities are organized into groups of experienced and enthusiastic team members; in Ndonga Mantung, Boyo, Bui, Ngoketunjia , Momo and Menchum Divisions
  2. Viable and available NTFPs of which some are having International recognition e.g bush mango and Njangsa for its importance.
  3. Nnowledge in the exploitation and processing of some of the NTFPs by the different groups in the North West Region
  4. Availability of local and International markets for some NTFPs eg Boarder Market in Ako, Market information system that link production zones.
  5. Good relationship with producers/exploiters with the Discentralised government structures MINFOF
  6. Exposure of NTFP groups with other stakeholders for capacity building and technical support.
  7. Availability of service provider like FAP to facilitate production, processing and commercialization.
  8. Good relationship between service providers and government ministries involved in forest products and conservation (MINFOF)
Weakness
  1. Inaccessibility of some communities with products for sale.
  2. Inadequate producer knowledge of regeneration of some important species and access to existing appropriate technologies for village-level extraction and post-extraction processing.
  3. lack of product quality standards, consistency of pricing, common and standard units of measure
  4. problems of market structure: many NTFP  commercial intermediaries market their products without added value;
  5. lack of consumer awareness of the nutritional value and unique therapeutic attributes of most products at all levels (local to international);
  6. Limited access to essential technical and market information on the part of producers and other stakeholders in the production chain.
Opportunities
  1. Awareness of the availability of products through the market information system.
  2. Availability of local technical partners to facilitate capacity building in the different aspects of product value chain and commercialization.
  3. Some financial institutions willing to support NTFPs viable enterprise development plans
  4. women involvement in the production and commercialization of most NTFPs
  5. Government technical services available and are supporting some NTFP groups intergeneration of plants
  6. Availability of other products not exploited in the North West Region such as Shea butter nuts, ginseng etc
  7. There is growing demand for most of the NTFPs in the North West Region.
  8. Large and growing demand for NTFPs in rural and urban areas
  9. NTFPs play key role in food security, health and income tomeet basic needs
 
 
Threats
Environmentally
  1. Degradation of products without regeneration plans
  2. Un sustainable harvesting of products, destroying the trees and branches
  3. High demand of products will reduce the quality processing
Economically
  1. Lack of knowledge among actors about value chain
  2. Lack of finance to increase production and commercialization
  3. No donor support to continue initiatives started by different groups
Opportunities and actions to reduce threats and weakness in the NTFPs sector in the North West Region and beyond
  1. Put in place platforms for different products and promote market information systems and develop action plans for regeneration.
  2. Carry out domestication for sustainable supply of NTFPs
  3. Sustainable harvesting techniques dissemination to stakeholders
  4. Professionalization of the sector for profitability and Employment
  5. Facilitate operating environment for SMFEs & chains
  6. Facilitate Processing, storage and value adding techniques/technologies for potential to increase profit margins.
  7. Financing of start up business plans.
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