“A missed opportunity for research and development interventions: Gender and the wild food trade in urban

Cameroon”Lauren Sneyd, University of Guelph

Presented at the International Food Security Dialogue 2014

“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional Security in a Changing World.”

Sponsored By: Hosted By:

Wild foods and food security in Cameroon

FAO NTFP project in Cameroon

Map of research sites

Wild food buyam-sellams

Distribution of gender• Traders interviewed in 2012

• Traders interviewed in 2013– 8 men and 30 women

• Total traders n= 209• Total households n= 200

The wild foods sold in the markets surveyed include:

• Forest snails (Archachatina spp), • Wild mushrooms, termites, caterpillars (Rhynchophorus

phoenicis),• Honey and bushmeat,• Vegetables such as eru (Gnetum africanum), country onions

(Afrostyrax kamerunensis/ Afrostyrax lepidophyllus), • Spices such as njansang, rondelle (Scorodophloeus zenkeri

Olom), various tree barks, and peppers (Afromomum melegueta).

• Fruit including bush plums or safou (Dacryodes edulis) and bush mangos (Irvingia spp.) and nuts such as kola (Cola acuminata; Cola pachycarpa K.; Cola nitida).

Wild fruits

Forest snails (Archachatina spp)

Gender and informal markets

Credit and Capital• “If I can stop eating my capital [I can] use it for

other things” (Interview Mile 4, November 2012).

Training

• “I was trained in selling forest products” (interview, Likomba, November 2012).

• “This business needs some intelligence: one has to learn from other sellers and also from buyers” (Interview, Yaoundé, November 2013).

• “Some training will help me to lead a better life” (Interview, Yaoundé, November 2012).

Perishability and Transformation

• On the subject of foods in Yaoundé there is a problem of conservation and conditioning. Most of the foods from rural areas are exposed to the elements and poorly conserved [sic]. In periods of abundance, we can see the leaves of vegetables, condiments, tomato etc. in decomposition because they simply have not been sold in time. This leads to a lack of return for the vendor, leading to social and economic losses. A good policy of conservation and transportation of the food products could resolve this problem (Interview, Yaoundé, November 2013).

Perishability and Transformation• I want to do more with my snail products (dry snails,

snail soya, snail meat) especially if I have capital. Having a cage to keep live snails to move freely and sell the next market day if not bought (Interview, Limbe, July 2012).

• Get a preservation facility like a fridge to store remains and re-sell. Buy quality vegetables and sell at better prices (Interview, Limbe, July 2012).

• Better means of preserving the meat; high capital to purchase variety; reduce conflict between forest guard and business person (Interview, Mutengene, July 2012).

Transformation of fruit (mango and plantains)

Missed Opportunity• From this case, it can be learned that there is

space for research and development interventions to target sectors of the local food system that have the potential to make positive impacts on meeting nutritional

needs.

These initiatives include:

– Targeting women’s enterprises including local institutions and credit institutions involved in this trade,

– Domesticating products experiencing high demand (Gnetum africanum),

– Bolstering initiatives for small animal rearing (e.g. cane rat and forest snails),

– Improved training and resources for drying, preserving and transformation of forest products for safe consumption.

Lauren Sneyd, University of Guelph

lsneyd@uoguelph.ca

International Food Security Dialogue 2014“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional

Security in a Changing World.”

Sponsored By: Hosted By: