This document summarizes a presentation on the wild food trade in urban Cameroon and opportunities for research and development interventions. It describes the traders interviewed, commonly traded wild foods, and issues faced by traders like perishability of goods and lack of access to credit, capital, and training. It concludes that targeting women's enterprises in the trade, domesticating in-demand products, and improving resources for food preservation could help meet nutritional needs and make positive impacts through local food systems.

1. “A missed opportunity for research
and development interventions:
Gender and the wild food trade in
urban Cameroon”
Lauren Sneyd, University of Guelph
Presented at the International Food Security
Dialogue 2014
“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional
Security in a Changing World.”
Sponsored By: Hosted By:

2. Wild foods and food security in
Cameroon

4. FAO NTFP project
in Cameroon

5. Map of research sites

6. Wild food buyam-sellams

7. Distribution of gender
• Traders interviewed in 2012
• Traders interviewed in 2013
– 8 men and 30 women
• Total traders n= 209
• Total households n= 200

8. The wild foods sold in the markets
surveyed include:
• Forest snails (Archachatina spp),
• Wild mushrooms, termites, caterpillars
(Rhynchophorus phoenicis),
• Honey and bushmeat,
• Vegetables such as eru (Gnetum africanum), country
onions (Afrostyrax kamerunensis/ Afrostyrax
lepidophyllus),
• Spices such as njansang, rondelle (Scorodophloeus
zenkeri Olom), various tree barks, and peppers
(Afromomum melegueta).
• Fruit including bush plums or safou (Dacryodes edulis)
and bush mangos (Irvingia spp.) and nuts such as kola
(Cola acuminata; Cola pachycarpa K.; Cola nitida).

9. Wild fruits

10. Forest snails (Archachatina spp)

11. Gender and informal markets

12. Credit and Capital
• “If I can stop eating my capital [I can] use it for
other things” (Interview Mile 4, November
2012).

13. Training
• “I was trained in selling forest products”
(interview, Likomba, November 2012).
• “This business needs some intelligence: one
has to learn from other sellers and also from
buyers” (Interview, Yaoundé, November 2013).
• “Some training will help me to lead a better
life” (Interview, Yaoundé, November 2012).

14. Perishability and Transformation
• On the subject of foods in Yaoundé there is a
problem of conservation and conditioning. Most
of the foods from rural areas are exposed to the
elements and poorly conserved [sic]. In periods of
abundance, we can see the leaves of vegetables,
condiments, tomato etc. in decomposition
because they simply have not been sold in time.
This leads to a lack of return for the vendor,
leading to social and economic losses. A good
policy of conservation and transportation of the
food products could resolve this problem
(Interview, Yaoundé, November 2013).

15. Perishability and Transformation
• I want to do more with my snail products (dry
snails, snail soya, snail meat) especially if I have
capital. Having a cage to keep live snails to move freely
and sell the next market day if not bought
(Interview, Limbe, July 2012).
• Get a preservation facility like a fridge to store remains
and re-sell. Buy quality vegetables and sell at better
prices (Interview, Limbe, July 2012).
• Better means of preserving the meat; high capital to
purchase variety; reduce conflict between forest guard
and business person (Interview, Mutengene, July 2012).

16. Transformation of fruit (mango and
plantains)

18. Missed Opportunity
• From this case, it can be learned that there is
space for research and development
interventions to target sectors of the local
food system that have the potential to make
positive impacts on meeting nutritional
needs.

19. These initiatives include:
– Targeting women’s enterprises including local
institutions and credit institutions involved in this
trade,
– Domesticating products experiencing high
demand (Gnetum africanum),
– Bolstering initiatives for small animal rearing (e.g.
cane rat and forest snails),
– Improved training and resources for
drying, preserving and transformation of forest
products for safe consumption.

20. Lauren Sneyd, University of Guelph
lsneyd@uoguelph.ca
International Food Security Dialogue 2014
“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional
Security in a Changing World.”
Sponsored By: Hosted By: