Abstract
We examined demand and supply of Food Tree Species (FTS) products in Burkina Faso. The hypotheses were: 1) demand for FTS products by local communities exceeds what can be sustainably extracted, and 2) local communities of the Sudanian zone have access to more diverse FTS products compared to Sahelian zone. Surveys were conducted in 300 households and 360 quadrats in landscapes surrounding 6 villages to determine the diversity, richness and availability of FTS. The results indicate that local communities tend to exploit FTS which are rare to find or absent in the landscape surrounding their village. While the range of FTS largely exploited tends to coincide across the two ecological zones, the diversity and density of the preferred FTS are discordant between the two zones. The results of the present study further support the need for conservation and restoration strategies to sustain the local communities demand for FTS products.
Highlights
1.6 billion people strongly rely on forest resources for their livelihoods (Pimental et al, 1997)
Proportions (%) of households (n = 300) and quadrats (n = 360) where Food Tree Species (FTS) were recorded in the two ecological zones of Burkina Faso
In accordance with the first hypothesis formulated, this study reveals that the demand of FTS products by local communities, in some selected sites from two ecological zones of Burkina
Summary
1.6 billion people strongly rely on forest resources for their livelihoods (Pimental et al, 1997). In sub-Saharan Africa, dry forest and woodlands surrounding rural settlements supply a vast array of wild natural resources (i.e., firewood, food, construction materials, medicine and fibers) for home consumption and sale (Shackleton & Gumbo, 2010). In Burkina Faso, the basic diet in rural areas is not very diverse. The thick porridge processed from millet, sorghum or maize flour, locally referred to as “Tô”, associated with sauce containing vegetables and condiments, constitutes the staple food. It is daily cooked five times per week and represents 83%
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