Leveraging the value chain-landscape governance nexus for non-wood forest products and tropical forest restoration

Background

Historically, colonial agricultural practices and overexploitation have reduced São Tomé and Príncipe's native vegetation to a quarter of its original coverage, threatening its rich biodiversity. Currently, the country's land use is a mix of tropical forests, secondary forests from abandoned agricultural lands, agroforestry systems, and non-forested areas. Significant forest restoration efforts are underway to restore degraded landscapes and promote sustainable land use through national and international initiatives. Understanding the socio-economic importance of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) and may provide valuable insights for successful forest landscape restoration (FLR). NWFPs contribute to food security, income diversification, nutrition, health, and cultural values. However, unsustainable harvesting and commercialization of NWFPs can lead to further environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Therefore, governance factors are crucial for integrating NWFPs into sustainable and equitable FLR efforts.

Goals and Methods

Employing a value chain-landscape nexus approach, this study explores the socio-economic relevance of NWFPs in FLR initiatives and how governance arrangements impact them. The authors define value chains as sequences of activities that add value to a product from its origin to the final consumer, coordinated by governance mechanisms, while landscape approaches provide a holistic framework integrating ecological and socio-economic objectives across scales. Focusing on three native NWFP tree species—"imbondeiro" (Adansonia digitata), "safuzeiro" (Dacryodes edulis), and "izaquenteiro" (Treculia africana)—the study uses a comprehensive multi-method approach. The authors combine document analysis and participant observations at marketplaces to identify institutional frameworks and value chain actors. The authors then perform structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with a sample of value chain actors to capture qualitative information on the human and environmental dimensions of the NWFP chains. Finally, the authors apply regional productivity benchmarks to questionnaire data to estimate profitability per tree.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The studied NWFP value chains significantly contribute to São Tomé and Príncipe's economy and society by providing substantial income, enhancing food security, and supporting rural livelihoods, emphasizing the need to incorporate social and economic considerations into FLR efforts. However, insufficient governance structures lead to open access and potential overexploitation of resources, posing significant challenges to sustainable management of NWFPs. Involving government authorities and value chain stakeholders in managing resource access and restoration activities enhances long-term FLR objectives. Future research should explore other NWFPs, examine their ecological roles in different land use settings, and investigate how the country's colonial legacy influences the future of NWFP value chains within the FLR framework.