Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Atilade Akanmu Adebisi 129

would contribute to local incomes and encourage sustainable forest

management.

CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT LESSONS OF THE CASE

Recommendations of what to do to improve the conservation and marketing

of bitter kola in the J4 area of Omo Forest Reserve are made below.

• Policy for sustainable production and trading of bitter kola. Appropriate
  conservation strategies need to be developed based on a baseline
  inventory of Garcinia kola within the J4 area and Omo Forest Reserve
  in general. This important step will lead to the formulation of
  management options, which might include production of planting stock
  through the creation of forest nurseries by the Forestry Department.


• Income generating activities. The harvest of bitter kola nuts is primarily
  for commercial gain. It follows that greater numbers of healthy trees
  producing nuts will generate greater amounts of income. To foster this
  development, farming activities that benefit or are compatible with
  bitter kola tree cultivation should be encouraged. This would include
  farming activities such as planting cocoa, cola nuts and other NTFP
  species that have similar growth requirements as Garcinia kola. These
  compatible land use activities are considered important as they increase
  the revenue realisable from the collection and sale of NTFPs. In corollary
  to this, fertiliser and improved seedlings should be allowed free entry
  to promote intensive management and increased bitter kola production.


• Respect of isolated village population’s rights. Mutual respect for the
  rights of isolated villages within the Omo Forest Reserve by government
  agencies and for government rules and regulations by local villagers will
  promote the management of the forest reserve by the local population.
  The villagers within the reserve should not be treated as squatters. The
  original agreements concerning rights to farming, fishing, hunting and
  collection of royalties should remain, as these are heritable rights.
  Villagers within the reserve too must abide with the rules and regulations
  that will guide the sustainable yield and protection of the ecological and
  environmental being of the whole area. It would behove the government
  to develop policy and laws for local use jointly with the local people
  according to their customs and beliefs. Similarly, any review of forestry
  management policies should favour a bottom-up approach.

In short, the trade of bitter kola and other NTFPs has helped tremendously

in the promotion of conservation and the development of socio-economic links

and relationships between the isolated village populations of Omo Forest

Reserve and project officials on one hand and among all the stakeholders on

the other. The afforestation programme in the J4 area brought in infrastructure

development that benefits all involved and that is not found in any other part

of the reserve. This development includes the provision of potable water,

schools, clinics, electricity, and all-weather roads for evacuation of NTFPs,

monitoring of projects, collaboration with all stakeholders and a host of other

opportunities.

07garcinia.p65 129 22/12/2004, 11:05