NWFP Report 2012
Ghana
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http://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/78836/en/gha/ Food and Agriculture Organization, FOPP
Hugo Lehoux & Anis Chakib
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This document is still under construction, please don’t consider it as an official FAO publication.
CONTENTS
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Contents 1 Plants and plant products 1.1 Food . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Fodder . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Medecines . . . . . . . . 1.4 Colorants and dyes . . . 1.5 Utensils, handicrafts and 1.6 Ornamental plants . . . 1.7 Exudates . . . . . . . . 1.8 Other plant products . .
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2 Animals and animal products 2.1 Living animals . . . . . . . . 2.2 Honey and beewax . . . . . . 2.3 Bush meat . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4 Other animal products . . . .
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CONTENTS
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Context The population of Gambia is estimated around 24.3 million people in 2010 [FAOSTAT] . The total area of the country is 238 540 km2 with around 4.94 millions hectares of forests in 2010 [FAO, 2010].
Introduction Main Non Wood Forest Products Bushmeat, nuts (such as cola and sheabutter), chewsticks, canes, medicinal plants and building materials (e.g. roof material obtained from Dalbergia sissoo) are the most important non-wood forest products (NWFP) of Ghana. The range of other useful plants and products is extensive and includes utensils and construction materials such as bathing and chewing sponges, basketry, fish traps, matting, woven straw, ropes, twines, jute fibre, kapok, bark cloth and fodder (e.g. Parkia clappertoniana). About 300 wild species are documented to provide fruits, some 100 species provide edible leaves and another 60 species are reported to be cultivated. Other NWFP provide latex (20 species), resins for incense and fumigation (25 tree species), tannins (Acacia nilotica), gums (gum arabic, gum copal), mushrooms, beverages (alcohol, palm wine) and edible oils. Some 2 000 forest plants are still used in traditional medicine. Animal products in addition to bushmeat are wax, hides and horns .
General informations No information is available regarding the importance of most of the abovementioned NWFP for self-consumption or for trade. Nuts (sheanuts and cola) are believed to be the main exported NWFP, followed by medicinal plants, gums and mushrooms. In general, resins, gums, cork and tannins are not widely used in Ghana. It is estimated that 20-25 percent of the economically active population derives incomes from NTFPs [Ahenkan and Boon, 2008; Townson, 1995]. In some rural communities, it is around 85% of the population who derives incomes from farming/gathering of NWFPs to supplement their incomes [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010]. Those people spend around 45% of their NWFP activities time to beekeeping, 40% to grass-cutter rearing, 29% for mushroom cultivation and 29% for snail rearing. Regarding the importance of NWFP on the national scale (self-consumption; local, regional and national trade) FAO [FAO and Falconer, 1990] quotes a survey carried out within the framework of the Subri Development Project. This project converted a large forest to a Gmelina arborea plantation for pulp production and fuelwood utilization. The result of an interview among the people living in the surrounding areas showed that 94 percent of them complained that the
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PLANTS AND PLANT PRODUCTS
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project had reduced the supply of, or the access to, forest resources. In their view, the most important losses were bushmeat, chewsticks, canes, poles and other housing materials, as well as condiments. The economic importance of NWFP is shown in the daily urban market of Kumasi, which is the biggest in Ghana. Seven hundred people in the market are involved in trading NWFP on a full-time basis, among which 100 leave traders (esp. Marantacea used for wrapping food), 100 medicine traders, 25 full-time basket traders and 50 traders of smoked bushmeat. A study carried out in two villages indicated that NWFP constitute the main source of income [FAO, 1995]. Most of the information about NWFP in Ghana has been collected in the southern humid parts of the country. This might be an indication of the higher importance of NWFP for local livelihood in the south in comparison with the drier northern region. One important NWFP coming from the woodlands in the northern region is gum arabic. A household and marketing study on NWFP was conducted by Falconer [Falconer, 1992] in southern Ghana. The study describes among others the utilization and significance of forest foods, medicines, construction materials and household goods for the rural population. In addition, it presents the processing of, and trade in Marantacea leaves, medicinal plants, canes, chewsticks and bushmeat. It is concluded that [...] forests are extremely important to local inhabitants in their role as environmental and economic buffers. They provide subsistence products and opportunities for earning cash, especially at times when there are few other options" [Falconer, 1992].
1 1.1
Plants and plant products Food
Hundreds of edible plant species are consumed in Ghana as supplement to staple foods and during seasonal food shortages. Regarding the different plant parts used, documentation exists on the utilization of 62 edible wild fruit species, 100 species used for their leaves and 19 species used for their roots [FAO and Falconer, 1990]. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is probably the most widely exploited forest species in West Africa. Fruits and kernels are used as edible oil, while the sap is consumed as wine and alcohol. These palm products account for 10 percent of the total energy consumed in West African diets and are an important source of vitamin A [FAO and Falconer, 1990]. Nuts derived from Vitellaria paradoxa and Cola spp. are among the most important edible NWFP in Ghana. Ghana is one of the major producing countries of sheabutter/sheanuts (Vitellaria paradoxa). Traditionally, sheanuts are used as medicine as well as in foods; the pulp is eaten fresh; and the butter, extracted from the seeds, is used for frying and sauces. In Europe, North America and Asia, sheabutter is almost entirely used in the food industry (e.g. chocolate, candies, margarine)
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[FAO and Iqbal, 1993]. In 1996 Ghana produced 55 000 t of sheanuts, of which 19 654 t (35 percent of the production) were exported corresponding to a value of US$5.8 million [FAOSTAT]. According to "journal des marchés tropicaux et méditerranéens"2 (citing FAO data), between 1995 and 2000, the annual production of sheanuts in Ghana were around 55 000 tons with annual exports ranging between 32,000 and 45,000 tons (according to Ghana Export Promotion Council)3 . In 2003, Ghana’s production counted for 10 per cent of the world production [CNUCED]. Another important edible nut is cola, derived from Cola nitidia and C. acuminata growing in the moist forests of southern Ghana. C. acuminata is mainly used for self-consumption. C. nitidia is heavily traded: on the one hand to northern Ghana, on the other hand to Nigeria, which is the major export market for Ghanaian cola nuts [FAO and Falconer, 1990]. Mushrooms consumption is very frequent in Ghana. Wild mushrooms are very common and harvested between February and March. A FAO [FAO, 2004] study found a lot of edible species consumed by population like Agaricus campestris, Agaricus goossensiae, Auricularia sp., Cantharellus floridulus, Coprinus micaceus, Macrolepiota procera, Mycena flavescens, Phlebopus colossus, Pluteus subcervinus, Psathyrella sp., Schizophyllum commune, Termitomyces sp. and Volvariella volvacea. The cultivation of mushrooms was started on a large scale both for local consumption and for export. Usually, mushrooms are sold in bunch of 6-10 or 1 kg for GHc 5.00 [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010].
1.2
Fodder
No data available.
1.3
Medecines
In West Africa, 75-90 percent of the population relies on traditional medical treatments. In Ghana, 3 360 traditional healers were registered officially in 1978 [FAO and Falconer, 1990]. In the Kwahu district the ratio of traditional healers to total population is 1:224 in comparison with a medical doctors to total population ratio of 1:20 625 [Cunnigham, 1993]. A large variety of medicinal plants is used both by the population and by traditional healers. Medicinal plants are collected in and outside the forests. In the Ho district, approximately 75 percent of the fallow field trees have medicinal uses [FAO and Falconer, 1990]. The most widely used medicinal plants are probably chewsticks. Since toothpaste consumption is still low, chewing sticks provide dental health care for most of the population. Six species (e.g. Garcinia afzelii, G. epundata) account for 86 percent of total usage in southern Ghana and the majority of commercial sales. The majority of 2 3
Missing reference Missing reference
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ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
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consumers depend on purchased material rather than on personal collection. The impact on the source species which are commercially sold and cut down (harvesting of stem wood) or uprooted (root material) to supply urban demand is high [Cunnigham, 1993]. Another medicinal plant which is exploited commercially is Griffonia simplicifolia, for which a damage assessment is recommended [Cunningham, 1997].
1.4
Colorants and dyes
Tannins (Acacia nilotica) and dyes are produced for the leather and cloth industries. The Ministry recommends the establishment of new plantations in order to satisfy the supply to the leather industry [Department, 1991].
1.5
Utensils, handicrafts and construction materials
No data available.
1.6
Ornamental plants
No data available.
1.7
Exudates
Since the 1970s natural and planted Acacia spp. stands are exploited in the savannah zone in northern Ghana. Only small quantities are collected on a research level. Most of the gum, which exudes naturally, is exploited from Acacia polyacanthe [Chikamai, 1997; Nour, 1995]. Large-scale plantations of Acacia senegal and A. seyal were established for the production of gum arabic [Department, 1991].
1.8
Other plant products
In Ghana, according to Adu-Anning [Adu-Anning, 2004], rattan’s major harvesters earn up to US$ 350 per year and the major urban processors can have an annual income of US$ 800.
2 2.1
Animals and animal products Living animals
The value of wild animals exports amounted to approximately US$344 000 in 1985 [Falconer, 1992].
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ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
2.2
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Honey and beewax
Ghana produces honey but there is no statistic data about this product. During the last years, honey production has been enhanced through the use of improved beehive technology [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010]. The honey value chain in Ghana involves producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers but the value chain is not fully operational. In the area of their study, [Ahenkan and Boon, 2008] found that 90% of honey producers sell it in bottles without labeling. Even the honey production is currently sold at the local and national market, there is also a great potential to develop a honey export system in Ghana [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010].
2.3
Bush meat
Bushmeat is still one of the most valuable NWFP. It is the most common source of animal protein, especially in the rural areas, and is still regarded as the best preferred kind of meat. It addition, it is a source of medicines, a symbol of cultural identity and ethnic origin [Tutu et al., 1996]. Approximately 75 percent of the population regularly consumes wild animals, mainly small mammals like grasscutters (the most popular and the most abundant among bushmeat species) and duikers (maxwell duikers, black duikers, red flanked duikers). Other hunted animals are brush tailed porcupins, giant rats, royal antelopes, bushbucks and spot-nosed monkeys. In the market of Takoradi, a survey showed that grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) and the brushtailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) composed 50 per cent of sold bushmeat biomass [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010]. Bushmeat is traded legally in Ghana but obviously subject to restriction on certain protected species, areas and time periods. Unfortunately, low capacity limits the extent to which the government is able to implement these laws [Holbech, 1998; Ntiamoa-Baidu, 1998]. However, today bushmeat constitutes only a small proportion of the protein intake because of its scarcity, relatively high price, and unavailability in small, affordable pieces. Besides, bushmeat becomes unavailable to most rural communities because hunters prefer to sell their catch and buy cheaper fish to feed their families. In the surveys of the contribution of bushmeat to the protein intake in Ghana, the majority of the people interviewed answered in the affirmative when asked the question "Do you eat bushmeat?" (Doryum 95.5% of responses; Accra 92.5%; Mankesim 86%). In most cases, however, the answer was followed by a statement like, "... but I haven’t eaten any for a long time because I cannot get it" [FAO and Ntiamoa-Baidu, 1997]. A study in Takoradi market showed that the average monthly consumption in this city of 125,000 people is around 21.4 tons of bushmeat. This equates to 0.01 kg per person per day [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010]. Although the nation does not earn significant foreign exchange from wildlife, the local market is quite active. Hunters earn incomes that are comparable to workers in the
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formal sector. The retail market is dominated by a few women who operate in a cartel in segmented areas. This leads to significant monopoly profits earned by the retailers ranging from 30 percent to 250 percent per animal [Tutu et al., 1996]. Hunting also provides an important source of supplementary income, especially during the off-peak agricultural period. For many women, trade in bushmeat is a main source of livelihood. Wildlife is still regarded as a communal property, people are free to hunt anywhere outside protected areas. Domestication of grasscutter began in 1970, although game ranching has not been sufficiently explored up to now.
2.4
Other animal products
Snails are consumed in Ghana. But the rapid degradation of natural habitats of many species of snails leaded to a decreasing of wild snail population. But this situation has created a positive situation for snail farming which can provide huge incomes to farmers and sellers. Experts evaluate the snail consumption in Ghana to over 15,000 tons of which three-quarter are imported from Cote d’Ivoire [Ahenkan and Boon, 2010].
REFERENCES
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References C. Adu-Anning. The rattan industry in Ashanti and Western region of Ghana, volume 2 of Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation. Case studies of Non-Timber Forest Product Systems. Sunderland T. and Ndoye O., 2004. A. Ahenkan and E. Boon. Enhancing food security, poverty reduction and sustainable forest management in ghana through non-timber forest products farming: Case study of sefwi wiawso district, 2008. URL www. grin.com/de/preview/.html. A. Ahenkan and E. Boon. Commercialization of non-timber forest products in Ghana: Processing, packaging and marketing, volume 8. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, 2010. B. Chikamai. Production, markets and quality control of gum arabic in africa: Findings and recommendations from an fao project. In Conservation, management and utilization of plant gums, resins and essential oils. Proceedings of a regional conference for Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya, 6-10 October 1997, 1997. CNUCED. Informations sur le karité. marché. URL http://www.unctad. org/infocomm/francais/karite/marche.htm. A.B. Cunnigham. African Medicinal Plants: Setting Priorities at the interface between Conservation and Primary Health Care. People and Plants Working paper 1. UNESCO, 1993. A.B. Cunningham. An africa-wide overview of medicinal plant harvesting, conservation and health care. Global Initiative for Traditional Systems of Health & FAO eds. Medicinal plants for forest conservation and health care, 11:„ 1997. Forestry Department. National report on forestry. Technical report, Accra, 1991. J. Falconer. Non-timber forest products in southern Ghana. Number 2 in ODA Forestry. Department of the Republic of Ghana, 1992. FAO. NWFP and nutrition. In FAO ed. International expert consultation on NWFP. Number 3 in Non-wood Forest Products. FAO, 1995. FAO. Forest Ressources Assessment. FAO, 2010. URL http://www.fao. org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/. FAO and J. Falconer. The major significance of minor forest products. The local use and value of forests in the Western African humid forest zones. FAO, 1990.
REFERENCES
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FAO and M. Iqbal. International trade in nwfp. FAO Working Paper FO:Misc/93/11. Rome., 1993. FAO and Y. Ntiamoa-Baidu. Wildlife and food security in africa. Conservation Guide 33, FAO, 1997. Boha E. FAO. Wild edible fungi - a global overview of their use and importance to people, 2004. URL http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/ Y5489E/Y5489E00.htm. FAOSTAT. URL http://faostat3.fao.org/home/. L. Holbech. Bushmeat survey: literature review, field work and recommendations for a sustainable community-based wildlife resource management system. Ministry of Land and Forestry. Accra, Ghana., 1998. A.O.H. Nour. Quality control of gum arabic. Technical report, Mission report. Karthoum, 1995. Y. Ntiamoa-Baidu. Sustainable harvesting, production and use of bushmeat. Wildlife department, Ministry of Land and Forestry. Accra, Ghana, 1998. I. M. Townson. ncomes from non timber forest products: Patterns of enterprise activity in the forest zone of southern Ghana. University of Oxford, U.K., 1995. K.A. Tutu, Y. Ntiamoa-Baidu, and S. Asuming-Brempong. The economics of living with wildlife in Ghana. The economics of wildlife. Case studies from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. World Bank, 1996.
Global Report on Non Wood Forest Products COUNTRY
CLASS SPECIES
YEAR
PRODUCTION unit
VALUE unit
EXPORT uni t
VALUE unit
IMPORT unit
VALUE uni DETAIL t
COMMENT
Ghana 1
Cola nitidia
1975
3 400 000,00 $US
Elais guineensis
1997
780 000 t
Vitellaria paradoxa
1996
55 000 t
1996
7
10
Gum Arabic
Living animals
Nuts Oil Seeds
19 654 t
5 846 000,00 $US
Seeds
1997
55 000 t
Seeds
1998
55 000 t
Seeds
1999
55 000 t
Seeds
2000
55 000 t
Seeds
1988
9 t
-
1989
9 t
-
1990
9 t
-
1991
9 t
-
1992
9 t
-
1993
9 t
-
1994
9 t
-
1985
344 000,00
NWFP Classes : 1 Food 2 Fodder 3 Raw material for medicine and aromatic products 4 Colorants and dyes 5 Raw material for utensils, handicrafts and construction 6 Ornamental plants 7 Exudates 8 Other plant products 10 Living animals 11 Hides, skins and trophies 12 Wild honey and bee-wax 13 Bush meat 14 Raw material for medicine 15 Raw material for colorants 16 Other edible animal products 17 Other non-edible animal products 20 Mushrooms
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Until 1986, the most impo
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