Posted on June, 02 2022

Putting in place a local wood market and ensuring sustainable and legal wood supply has been a challenge for the forestry administration, council and community forest managers and other key actors in the wood trade in the TRIDOM Landscape.

In spite of a joint order; N°0162/MINFOF/MINTP/MINMAP of December 15, 2020 fixing the modalities of use of wood of legal origin; the procedures of obtaining an authorization of valorization of wood scraps resulting from forest exploitation; and the procedures of provision of wood scraps with a view to promoting artisanal transformation, the putting in place of a local wood market is far from coming to fruition.

Absence of a concertation platform, local wood market and transformation units, and illegal practices constitute barriers to an effective local wood business.

However, a recent consultation and sensitization meeting organized in Yokadouma, by the local delegation of MINFOF (forestry and wildlife ministry) and the Yokadouma Municipality with the support of WWF has provided an opportunity for the different actors to discuss on the putting in place of a local wood market, ensure legal and sustainable supply of wood scraps from forest exploitation as well as promote artisanal transformation and income-generation for local actors.

The WWF support is within the context of the project; "Support for the responsible management of communal and community forests in the TRIDOM landscape" that is working with the Yokadouma Council and three peripheral communities to regenerate exploited portions of their forests through planting of forest and fruit trees and the creation of local markets for timber and non-timber forest products.

For the Chief of Landjoué I village situated at the periphery of the Yokadouma Council forest, recovering and valorizing wood scraps can contribute to income-generation, job-creation and boost local development. “It is inconceivable that we have a rich forest yet we are poor. Most of the wood abandoned in the forest can generate significant revenue for our people,” he states.

Michel Mindjul, a development expert at the Yokadouma Council shares similar vision. “We want to recover residual wood from the council forest and supply to the local market. We have the resource, which we can either transform locally or put them at the disposal of some private operators to stimulate income-generation and development.”

The workshop, presided at by the Senior Divisional Officer of the Boumba and Ngoko Division, assembled representatives of local ministries of Decentralisation, Territorial Administration, Public Works, logging companies, Council and community forest managers, waste wood recovery permit holders, CSOs and WWF. The MINFOF Delegate, Bekono Nka André exhorted the local stakeholders to shun illegal practices and collaborate with MINFOF to ensure respect of best practices.

Participants were presented initiatives at the level of MINFOF towards the operationalization of the internal wood market and development of the legal framework for the valorization of wood scraps; and the Yokadouma Council draft strategy for recycling waste wood from the municipal forest that proposes among others the recovery and valorization of such wood and the creation of a local wood transformation unit.

“The meeting is a step in working with the local stakeholders towards reducing waste from wood exploitation in council and community forests, promote responsible forest management and contribute to poverty alleviation through the internal wood market,” says Alphonse Ngniado, WWF Cameroon Forest Program Coordinator.