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Abstract

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are harvested for both subsistence and commercial use and play a key role in the livelihoods of millions of rural people. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important in rural southwest Ethiopia, Kaffa as a source of household income. Market players at various levels in marketing chains are interviewed to gather information on elements of marketing systemâ??products, product differentiation, value addition, pricing, promotion, distribution, and marketing chains. The study, therefore, was conducted in Kaffa Biosphere reserve of southwest Ethiopia with the main objective of assessing and analyzing the contribution of NTFPs to rural livelihood and to the conservation of the biosphere reserve and to identify factors influencing in the marketing of the NTFP. Five villages were selected based on their proximity gradient from Bonga town and availability of NTFP. Formal survey was carried out on rural households selected using stratified random sampling. The results indicate that local people practice diverse livelihood activities mainly crops cultivation (cereals and cash crops) and livestock husbandry, gather forest products and off-farm/off-forest activities for surviva. NTFP trade is not a common phenomenon in southwest Ethiopia. The greatest opportunity exists for local level marketing of spices and other non timber forest products. Very little local value addition takes place within the region, and as a result local market players have little control. Policy interventions are required to enhance the returns to local collectors, which will also contribute to sustainable management of forest resources in Kaffa biosphere reserve.

Biography

Amleset Haile, working as Assistant National Coordinator for Innovation Facilitation at the consortium of Wageningen University, Netherlands and six Ethiopian Universities called CASCAPE project. The project sets out to generate evidence for scaling of agricultural best practices and closely works with the Agricultural Growth Program of the country. She also works in a voluntary capacity in the country wide climate change movement and conservation management of protected areas in Ethiopia. Previously, she was a staff member of Mekelle University, Ethiopia as an Assistant Lecturer and researcher. Amleset got her Masterâ??s degree in Management of Natural Resources (Management of protected areas) from Klagenfurt University, Austria in efforts to make her long-term dreams come true in combining nature and society through conservation and livelihood improvement activities. She has been part of many international conferences and undergone several international capacity building opportunities including being a fellow of the Environmental Leadership program at UC, Berkeley, USA and also fellow of the African women Scientists in Climate change and African women in Agricultural Research and Development post Masters fellow.