Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Chapter 7

A case study of Garcinia kola nut

production-to-consumption system

in J4 area of Omo forest reserve,

South-west Nigeria

Atilade Akanmu Adebisi^1

ABSTRACT

This chapter sheds light on the importance of bitter kola (Garcinia kola Heckel)

as one of the many non-timber forest products that are of socio-economic

importance in the J4 area of the Omo Forest Reserve of south-west Nigeria. Its

commercialisation in both the domestic and national markets raises the

standard of living of those involved in its trading activities, both in the rural

and urban centres. Trade of bitter kola is more profitable than trade in other

non-timber forest products such as wonder cola (Buccholzia coriacea), sponge

(Acanthus montanus) and cola nuts (Cola nitida/acuminata). This is because

of its high amenability to storage, both fresh and dried.

The ongoing increase in commercial value of bitter kola has made the

cultivation of the tree more important—and of greater interest—to the villagers

of the J4 area of Omo Forest Reserve. The development of domestication

processes to reduce the time to fruit bearing age, coupled with improved

marketing opportunities, should improve bitter kola production.

INTRODUCTION

Studies of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have shown the importance of

NTFPs’ contribution to the rural socio-economy of many developing countries.

Among many others, such studies include those of Falconer (1990, 1992), Ndoye

(1995), Townson (1995), Adebisi (1997), Ndoye et al. (1998) and Shiembo (1999).

Common names Part of the Management Degree of Scale of Geographic

resource used transformation trade range

Bitter cola, Seeds Wild/managed Low National Medium

Orogbo

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