Prospective study for the conservation of forests in the South-West of Cameroon Cameroon

Context of the service

In 2012, Greenpeace focused its advocacy activities on the conversion of forests to oil palm plantations in the Congo Basin. Considering the economic profitability of these plantations, one of the questions to be resolved was to identify an alternative development model that would be less destructive to forest ecosystems and beneficial to local development.

A case study was identified in the South-West Province of Cameroon. This is a land-use conflict caused by an industrial plantation project (Herakles Farms) in an area of secondary forest partially converted to cocoa agroforestry plantations and used for the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by communities, on the edge of several protected natural areas.

A research project has been initiated under the supervision of Greenpeace France, to characterize the comparative advantages of increased support for cocoa agroforestry production in terms of income generation and in terms of maintaining environmental connectivity.

Services provided

- Characterization of traditional and regulatory systems of environmental protection and access to land and forest resources (literature review, semi-structured interviews with local communities);

- Analysis of local agrarian systems and characterization of value chains associated with palm oil, cocoa and non-timber forest products (literature review, field study and semi-structured interviews with the main actors in the sector);

- Analysis of existing or potential support for the development of the cocoa value-chain;

- Analysis of the land conflict on the land claimed by Herakles farms: characterization of the strategies of actors and their alliances (semi-structured interviews with the main NGOs for the defense of the environment and the interests of farmers, interviews with local communities located in the area where the project is implemented, documentation of the project's progress);

- Development of strategic recommendations for the development of the Greenpeace Forest Network's advocacy campaigns.

Summary of the service

Prospective study for the conservation of forests in South-West Cameroon: Characterization of traditional and regulatory systems of environmental protection and access to land and forest resources; Analysis of local agrarian systems and characterization of value chains associated with palm oil, cocoa and non-timber forest products; Analysis of the land conflict on the land claimed by Herakles farms and characterization of the strategies of actors; Recommendations for the Greenpeace Forest Network's advocacy campaigns.