Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

26 Dental hygiene and livelihoods: a case of chewing sticks in Ghana

the income of many Ghanaians and at the same time contribute to local,

regional and national economies. Notwithstanding the medical and economic

importance to the nation, the resource base is gradually dwindling because of

overexploitation. Yet there are no policies or management strategies in place

either to ensure sustainable production of the species concerned or to improve

trade and marketing.

METHODOLOGY

The study on the production-to-consumption system for chewing sticks, the

findings of which are presented in this chapter, was undertaken in three villages

in the Western Region of Ghana—Banso, Betinasi and Nkwanta—where the

majority of chewing stick logs are harvested (Figure 1). Regional markets in

Accra and Kumasi and some additional weekly markets in the Western Region

of Ghana were also studied. The study used direct observations as well as

participatory rural appraisal and ‘focus group’ survey methodologies (Malleson

2001).

THE RESOURCE BASE

Introduction

Chewing sticks are made from the split stems of a number of tree species.

Although Isawumi (1978) and Abbiw (1990) mention that over 70 species of

woody plants are used in West Africa as chewing sticks, only three species

account for the commercial trade—Garcinia epunctata, G. afzelii (both referred

to as nsorkor) and G. kola (or tweapeh) (Adu-Tutu et al. 1979; Falconer 1992;

Tabi-Gyansah 2001). These species comprise over 90% of the chewing sticks

sold in Ghana (Falconer 1992). The three species of Garcinia are mostly found

in the south-western area of Ghana, particularly in the moist evergreen and

moist semideciduous forests of the Western Region (Foggie 1941; Hall and

Swaine 1976).

Harvesting

Although historically harvested in the Western Region from both primary and

secondary forests, because of overexploitation the harvesting of the species

of Garcinia concerned has extended as far as Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia (Holbech

2000). The species are harvested exclusively from the wild. However, recent

efforts aimed at production intensification have focussed on planting of Garcinia

spp. in agroforestry systems. The nongovernmental organisation Cooperative

for American Relief Everywhere International and the local logging company

Samartex have undertaken this effort in collaboration with local communities.

Harvesting occurs during six to nine months of the year. It rests in the rainy

period because of the poor quality of the roads in the area and because the

chewing stick gatherers prefer to work in the dry season (October to March).

The majority of harvesting is undertaken in forest reserves owned by the

government or, less commonly, in ‘off-reserves’ owned by families or clans

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