Abstract.
ABSTRACT
The Valorization of Non Timber Forest Products from Batéké Plateaux in the periphery of Kinshasa (DR.Congo).
Key words : NTFP, Ethno-ecology, Sustainable management, Endogenous knowledge, Natural resources, Ecosystems.
This study has as main objective to make an ethno-ecological analysis of the management systems of the NTFP in the periphery of Kinshasa. It considers an operating mode that guarantees the conservation and the sustainable use and to bring the indispensable elements to the improvement of the valorization of the NTFP. The purpose is to understand the explanatory factors of the exploitation and valorization of the NTFP, to examine the effects of its intensification in the survey zone and to undertake some actions in the short, medium and long term to deepen knowledge on the endogenous associative networks, the ethno ecological know-how and the power relations concerning the access of the NTFP, and the implementation of the policies that drive a participative management of the natural resources in the periphery of Kinshasa.
The field surveys have been executed for the eight villages of the Batéké plate: Mbankana, Dumi, Mampu, Muti-mutiene, Kinzono, Inzolo, 4th City CADIM, and for the station of Bombo-Lumene" a protected area ". The survey polls and interviews followed two geographical axes, North - East and South - West. The five most exploited non-ligneous forest products of the survey area have been chosen in order to analyse the determining factors in their exploitation of NTFP. These survey polls with 280 households have been complemented by twenty two focus group interviews, by direct field observations, by socio-economic surveys and ethno-ecological surveys on the exploitationstrategies of the NTFP. The NTFP chain at Batéké plate (140 km to the East of Kinshasa), and its impact have been studied between June 2005 and November 2006.
The analysis the NTFP use in the periphery of Kinshasa reveals 169 species of NTFP belonging to 65 families. The herbaceous plants dominate with 66 species, or 39%, of the exploited NTFP flora. The ligneous plants, including the coins bushes represent 46 species, or 27 %. The bushes are represented by 27 species, or 16 %. The study counted 22 lianas species, or 13 %. The coins bushes are poorly exploited and count only for 8 species, or 5 %.
These NTFP are essentially used for food with 68 species or 40 %, herbal medicine with 59 species, or 35 %, and handicraft domestic and cultural uses with 41 species, or 25 %.
The interrogated households have extensive environmental endogenous knowledge of the ecological factors concerning climate, substratum and biocénoses end the ecosystems. They know 12 plant species used as additive for fermentation to local wines. They respect the customs téké to dedicate one day of the week to the forebears. They don't cut the trees along the shepherds of the rivers down; they succeed in popularizing the techniques of cooking of the Pteridium sp. (Fern) and of the Talinum triangualre (Waterleaf) to eliminate the toxic substances such as ptaquilosides and oxalates from NTFP.
The consumption of the Pteridium sp by the household, its selling price, availability in the ecosystems, the short distance between gathering and selling place, the matrimonial statute of the households’ head, the distance in relation to the market and the adherence to a local structure are the explanatory factors determining the exploitation of Pteridium sp. (fern) (R2 = 77 %). The explanatory factors for the exploitation of indigenous wine are the distance in
Biloso M. Apollinaire -
Abstract.
relation to the places of withdrawal, the size of household, the endogenous knowledge on the indigenous wine, the distance in relation to the market, the income and the size of the household (R2 = 55 %). For the Dioscorea praehensilis (bitter Thread), the income descended of the sale, the local know-how, the selling price and the food habits are some of the determining explanatory factors (R2 = 42 %). For the Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf), the obtained income , the habits of consumption, the distance in relation to the place of withdrawal, the selling price and the initiations are the determining factors of it (R2 = 62 %).
For rattan, auto provision, the selling price, the local knowledge and the availability of rattans in the ecosystems are the determinants of it (R2 = 46 %).
The analysis of the structure, behavior and performance of the markets of the NTFP in the periphery of Kinshasa reveal that the family workers are overrepresented in the exploitation of the NTFP (either, 67 %), access to NTFP is free (either, 70 % of the cases) for the autochthonous and paying for the others. NTFP are used for commercialisation and household consumption (either, 60 % of the cases). NTFP exploiting people don't benefit from extension services or initiation in exploitation techniques (either, 56 % of case).
The NTFP exploited in forests, gallery forests and savannas are sold on the markets and selling points at the Batéké plate. . The average cost price of one kg NTFP exploited is estimated to 0,08 $US for Pteridium sp. (Fern), 0,05 $US for the indigenous wine, 0,05 $US for Dioscorea praehensilis (bitter Thread), 0,05 $US for the Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf) and 0,20 $US for rattan. Villagers obtain an average daily profit of almost 2 $US for the Pteridium sp. (Fern), 9 $US for the indigenous wine, 1 $US for the Dioscorea praehensilis (bitter Thread), 0,26 $US for the Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf) and close to 4 $US for rattan.
Apart from the socio-economic value of the harvesting of NTFP, it also brings certain negative effects to the ecosystem. Mainly caused by unsustainable methods used for harvesting such as: the systematic and regular harvest of fruit, roots and leaves, the systematic felling or extraction of plants, the taking off of the complete bark, the cutting off of the terminal bud, repeated fires, all have caused enormous toll on the natural environment.
Finally, this study shows that there are bio-cultural interactions which apply to both the natural environment (ecosystems) and to the strategies of NTFP utilisation by farming families. The definition of a reasonable valorization policy of NTFP integrated in an interdisciplinary approach of sustainable development remains unavoidable for the area under study.
Biloso M. Apollinaire -
