ABSTRACT
The study analyzed
the contributions of plant and animal species of Non-Wood Forest Products
(NWFPs) to farm household’s income and food security. Three agricultural zones,
Nsukka zone, Enugu Ezike zone and Udi zone, were purposively selected for the
study. One hundred and twenty (120) respondents were selected through
multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, and Probit model were
used for the analysis. The results indicated that majority (63.33 %) were
males, with a mean age of about 56 years. Most (53.3%) of the respondents were
farmers. The average household size was about 5 persons. The respondent’s mean
years spent in school was about 7 years (at least completed primary school) and
belonged majorly (50.83%) to the medium wealth category. The most commonly
collected plant species of NWFPs were bitter kola (Garcina kola), breadfruit
(Treculia africana), bush mango (Irvingia gabonenesis and wombulu), kola nut
(Cola nitida), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), Icheku (Dalium guinese),
African star apple (Chrysophylum albidium), Avocado pear (Persea americana),
African bush mango (Dacryodes edulis) and Oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla)
while the most commonly collected animal species of NWFPs were bee products
(Apis mellifera linneaeus 1758), flying termites (Reticulitermes flavipes) and
fish (Ictalurus punctatus). Wealth category (p < 0.01) and occupation
(p<0.01) positively and significantly increase the contributions of NWFPs to
household food security. Educational level (p < 0.05) had negative and
significant effect on the contributions of NWFPs to household food security. On
the daily inclusion of NWFPs in respondent’s meals, NWFPs appeared in the meals
of the households for a total of 2,150 times (78.5%). The result of the
proportion of household food from NWFPs shows that 53.33% indicated that
species of NWFPs constituted over 50% of their household food. Based on the
food security analysis results, derived using the USDA (2000) approach, few of
the urban farmers’ households (47.5%) were food secure, while most of them
(52.5%) were food insecure at different levels of food insecurity. The result
shows that 25.83% of farm households were food insecure without hunger, 25%
were moderately food insecure with hunger and 1.67% was severely food insecure
with hunger. Household size and occupation
positively and significantly (p < 0.01) increased the contributions of NWFPs
to household income. On the market wares inclusion of NWFPs by households,
NWFPs appeared in the market wares of the households for a total of 381 times
(79.4%). The result of the proportion of household income from NWFPs shows that
54.43% indicated that species of NWFPs constituted over 50% of their household
income. The extent of perceived impediments to the continuing use of NWFPs in
the area was identified as underdeveloped market (3.44), lack of capital (3.26),
lack of storage facility (3.33), poor transportation system (3.38), lack of
adequate information (3.13), poor harvesting technique (3.56) and inefficient
processing facility (3.2). Remedial measures such as the incorporation of NWFPs
in national accounting systems in order to attract the deserved attention from
policy makers, public enlightenment campaign on the economic and health
benefits of NWFPs by the national orientation agencies and the provision of
infrastructural amenities by the government and humanitarian organizations.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title page
i
Certification
ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement
iv
Abstract
v
Table of
Contents
vi
List of Tables
ix
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Background of the
Study
1
Problem
Statement – – – – – – – 4
Objectives of the
Study – – – – – – 6
Research
Hypotheses – – – – – – – 6
Justification of the
Study – – – – – – 7
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Framework – – – – – – 9
2.1.1 Non Wood Forest Products in Rural
Livelihood and Economy – 9
2.1.2 Nigeria Forest Resources and
Management – – – – 18
2.2 Theoretical Framework
21
2.2.1 Theories of Household Production
Choices – – – – 21
2.3 Analytical Framework
26
2.3.1 Probit Model –
– – – – – – – 27
2.3.2 Likert Scale Rating Technique
…………………………………………… 28
2.3.3 Food security status using the USDA
approach
29
–
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 The Study Area – – – – – – …… 30
3.2 Sampling Procedure – – – – – – …… 31
3.3 Validity and Reliability of
instrument…………………………………. . 31-3
3.4 Data Collection – – – – – – – 31
3.5 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………. 32
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
Socioeconomic Attributes of the
Respondents
40
Gender of the respondents
40
Age of Household heads
40
Occupation of household heads
41
4.1.4 Household size
42
Years spent in
school
42
Wealth category
43
4.1.7 Average income realized from spp of
NWFPs
44
Commonly collected NWFPs
45
Plant species of
NWFPs
45
Animal species of
NWFPs `47
Perception of the respondents on the extent of certain
impediments to the continuing use of NWFPs
47
Contributions of
NWFPs to household food security
49
Contributions of NWFPs to farm household
income
52
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
55
5.2 Conclusion
57
5.3
Recommendation
58
5.4 Suggestion for
further Research 59
References
…5555555555556656…56…………………………………………………………… 56
38383333336666
LIST OF TABLES
PAGES
Table 2.1: Nigeria Forest Land Statistics – – – – – – 18
Table 3.5: Wealth Definition of
Households………………………………………… 34
Table 3.6: Structured survey questions on food
security of the household 37
Table 3.7
USDA food security scale
39
Table 4.1: Distribution of the respondents
according to gender
40
Table 4.2: Frequency distribution of the
respondents according to their age 41
Table 4.3: Frequency distribution of the
respondents based on their occupation. 41
Table 4.4: Frequency distribution of the
respondents according to their
Size of
households.
42
Table 4.5: Frequency distribution of the
respondents based on the number of
years spent in
school
43
Table 4.6: Frequency distribution of the respondents
based on the size of their
wealth category
43
Table 4.7: Average income realized from species of
NWFPs. 44
Table 4.8: Plant species of NWFPs often used, part
used, form of use, and
method of acquisition.
46
Table 4.9: Animal species of NWFPs often used, and
method of acquisition 47
Table 4.10:
Perception of the respondents on the extent of impediments to the
continuing use of
NWFPs. 48
Table 4.11:
Result of the contributions of NWFPs to Farm household food
security. 50
Table 4.12: Result of the distribution of the
respondents according to their inclusion of
NWFPs in their
breakfast, lunch and supper.
51
Table 4.13: Result of the distribution of the
respondents on their proportion of food and income from
NWFPs.
51
Table 4.14: Result of the food security status of the
respondents 52
Table 4.15: Result of the contributions of NWFPs to Farm
household income.
53
Table 4.16: Result of
the distribution of the respondents in their inclusion of NWFPs in their
market wares. 54
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A forest, also
referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees.
Depending on various cultural definitions, what is considered a forest may vary
significantly in size and have different classifications according to how and
of what the forest is composed (Lund, 2006). Forests can be classified in
different ways and to different degrees of specificity. One such way is in
terms of the “biome” in which they exist, combined with leaf longevity of the
dominant species (whether they are evergreen or deciduous). Another distinction
is whether the forests are composed predominantly of broadleaf trees,
coniferous (needle-leaved) trees, or mixed.
The contribution of
forests to sustainable livelihood of the rural farmers around the world is immeasurable
including the wood and non-wood forest resources. Forests which include all
resources that can produce forest products namely woodland, scrubland, bush
fallow and farm bush and trees on farms, as well as ecosystem dominated by
trees (Arnold,1998), provide households with income, ensure food security,
reduce their vulnerability to shocks and adversities and increase their well
being. Research on non-farm rural employment and income as a whole has shown
that small scale production and trading activities in forest products
constitute one of the largest parts of rural non-farm enterprise employment
(Liedholm & Mead 1993). It is in acknowledgement of the importance of
forests for livelihood and environmental stability that its conservation is included
in the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. In Nigeria, poverty
has led to the dependence of over 90% of the rural population on forests for
some livelihoods and economic survival (UN, 2002).
Among the products
obtained from forests are those classified as wood forest products and non-wood
forests products (NWFPs). Non-wood forests products consist of goods of
biological origin other than wood, derived from forests, other wooden land and
trees outside forests (FAO, 1999). The United Kingdom’s Forestry Commission
defines non-wood forest product (NTFPs) as “any biological resource found in
woodlands except wood (timber and other forms of wood), United Kingdom Forest
Research (UFR, 2013). Part of the reforesting Scotland project, defines them as
“materials supplied by woodlands – except the conventional harvest of wood,
Scotland Forest Harvest (SFH, 2013). These definitions include wild and managed
game, fish and insects, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR,
2013). When wood other than timber is included it is referred to as non- timber
forests products (NTFPs). Generally NWFPs are grouped into: sponges, chewing
sticks, tooth cleaners, fibers, bast fibers, jute, cloth, foodstuffs, water,
beverage, wine, medicinal plants, latex, rubbers, gums and resins, and
decorative beads (Wyatt, 1991). Furthermore, a large portion of NWFPs have
medicinal properties. For at least three quarters of the world’s population,
traditional medicine is the only source of medicinal treatment (70-80% in Africa)
(Van Rijsoort & De pater, 2000). On the use of NWFPs in meals, observation
of household in Western Burkina Faso identified that some thirty NWFPs were
used, raw or cooked, and that they came from17 tree species of the savanna or
traditional forestry parklands (Lamien &
Bayala, 1996). This study will focus on flora(plant) and fauna(animal)
species of non-wood forest products. Some of the plant species of NWFPs found
in Nigeria, according to Osemeobo and Ujor(1999) include Gnetum africanum ,
Gongronema latifolium, pterocarpus soyauxii, Ocimum gratisimum, Treculia
Africana, Irvingia gabonensis, Dennettia tripetala, chrysophyllum albidium
(white straw apple), piper guineense, Afromomum spp and Garcinia kola. Fauna
species include snails, bee product (honey), grass cutter etc.
Non-wood forest
products have attracted considerable global interest in recent years because of
increasing recognition of their contribution to household economies and food
security to some national economies and to environmental objectives such as the
conservation of biological diversity. Some 80 percent of the population of the
developing world use NWFPs to satisfy health and nutritional needs (UN, 2002).
Indigenous population in Nigeria have benefited historically from natural ecosystems
through the use of NWFPs. Although NWFPs typically lack statistics on official
commerce, they provide a wide range of raw materials and inputs for a diverse
array of rural enterprise. Non-wood forest products provide off-farm employment
to a large segment of the rural population and account for an enormous share of
household income. For example, in 1996 in southeastern Nigeria, 35.7% of the
rural population collected NWFPs daily and it accounted for 94% of total income
from minor sources (Nweze & Igbokwe, 2000).
Bisong and Ajake
(2001) found out that women in southern Nigeria depend heavily on NWFPs. In
fact, many Nigerians depend on NWFPs for food, fiber and herbal medicines. In
recent times, there has been a reasonable and noticeable shift from the earlier
bias in favor of orthodox medicine to greater acceptance of traditional(herbal)
medicines in Nigeria as in many other countries worldwide(Akunyili,2003). Over
90% of Nigerians in rural areas and over 40%
in urban areas depend partly or wholly on traditional medicine(Osemeobo
& Ujor,1999). NWFPs also provide raw materials for large-scale industrial
processing including processing of internationally traded commodities such as
foods and beverages, confectionery, flavorings, perfumes, medicines, paints and
polishes. At present at least 150 NWFPs are significant in terms of
international trade; they include honey, gum arabic, rattan and bamboo, cork,
forest nuts and mushrooms, essential oils, plant and animal parts for
pharmaceutical products. Thus promotion of NWFPs can complement the objectives
of rural development and appropriate forest management (Hammet, 1993). Since
the early 1990s, the role of Non-Wood Forest Products for sustainable forest
management and poverty reduction has received increased attention (Sheil &
Wunder, 2002). They play an important part in supporting household livelihoods
and therefore can be used to raise the perceived value of forest resources. In
developing countries, including Nigeria, majority of rural household and a large
proportion of urban household depend on NWFPs to meet some parts of their
nutritional, health, construction material and income from selling these
products. Elsewhere, NWFPs are the only source of income for the local
communities (Wollenberg & Septianinawir 1998). Therefore, NWFPs form an
integral part of the rural economy where the majority of the rural populations
live especially around the forest resource base. In this perspective,
sustainable forest management will be achieved through encouraging participatory
management of forest and woodland resources.
FAO, (2002) defined
food security as a situation that exist when all people, at all times, have
physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food
that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy
life. Conceptually, food security is broken down into four different components
– availability, access, utilization and vulnerability – each capturing
different, but overlapping dimension of the phenomenon (Migotto, Davis,
Carletto, & Beegle, 2007). To date,
a lot of people in the developing world are still suffering from malnutrition
despite the efforts made and inclusion of food security as part of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG). Worldwide, approximately 840 million people are
undernourished or chronically food insecure and as many as 2.8 million children
and 300,000 women die needlessly every year because of malnutrition in
developing countries (Guha-Khasnobis, Acharya, &, Davis, 2007).
The Thrust of this
research is to evaluate the contributions of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs)
to farm household income and food security in Enugu state. This is with a view
to gain better insight into farm household’s income and food security and an
attempt to strengthen the link between development policies and food security.