list of figures - Terry Sunderland

een realised (Ndoye, 1994; Falconer, 1994; Clark and Sunderland, 1999; Sunderland
and Obama, 1999; Liengola, 1999; Yembi; 1999; Kimpouni, 1999; Tabuna, 1999;
Ruiz-Perez et al., 2000). Indeed, studies of selected markets within Ghana (Falconer,
1994; Holbech, 2000) Cameroon (Ndoye et al., 1999), Equatorial Guinea (Sunderland
and Obama, 1999), Congo (Kimpouni, 1999), Gabon (Yembi, 1999) and DR Congo
(Liengola, 1999) show that the trade in non-timber forest products is significant.
Furthermore, this trade is often regional, rather than national, in scope, with a great
deal of cross-border trade in forest products, particularly focussed on Cameroon. For
example, there is significant NTFP trade from Cameroon to Nigeria, (Bokwe and
Ngatoum, 1994; Sunderland and Tchouto, 1999), Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea
(Sunderland and Obama, 1999) and from Cameroon to Gabon (Yembi, 1999; Ndoye
et al., 1999). There is also substantial export of non-timber forest products from the
wider Central African region to supply ex-patriot Africans based in Europe and North
America. The cultural importance of these products is such that consumers are willing
to absorb the extra costs of packaging, export and transportation despite the local
availability of cheaper substitute products (Tabuna, 1999).
In short, the markets for forest products in West and Central Africa are robust,
demand-led and support the livelihoods of many thousands of people; from the forest
harvester to the urban trader (Ruiz-Perez, et al., 2000). As such, the need to “develop
the markets for NTFPs” as has been advocated for forest conservation efforts in Latin
America (Padoch, 1987; Padoch, 1992; Clay, 1992; Gentry, 1992; Richards, 1993)
and SE Asia (Peluso, 1992; Gan and Weinland, 1996) is unnecessary in the African
context as there is considerable evidence that the sector is significantly market driven
(Clark and Sunderland, 1999; Ruiz-Perez et al., 2000). What is essential, however, is
the recognition and evaluation of those markets allows the capture of benefits such
that these forest resources are able to contribute to the formal forest sector of the
countries in which they originate.
7.3 THE RATTAN TRADE IN CAMEROON
Recent studies of the African rattan trade have concentrated on the importance of the
trade within individual countries (Falconer, 1994; Morakinyo, 1995a; Defo, 1997;
Sunderland 1998; Defo 1999; Oteng-Amoako and Obiri-Darko, in press).
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