Cola and Red Stinkwood on the forest buffer menu

The Dom Community Food Forest project is being implemented in the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon.

A hotspot for biodiversity conservation with recent studies in 2010 revealing that of the 354 plant species recorded, 23 are threatened, 12 new to science and 5 are endemic to the forest of Dom.

Bamenda Highlands is an afromontane forest, one of the mountainous forests in Africa separated from each other by vast areas of surrounding lowland. These highland forests have been likened to as a series of sky islands.

472 hectares of this afromontane forest is managed by the local community and they will be working with Community Assistance in Development (COMAID) on a project to maintain the unique ecosystem of the Dom forest through the creation of a forest food buffer.

The forest in the past decades was rich in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that were used by the community for income generation and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the forest witnessed massive deforestation due to clearance for farmlands and unsustainable exploitation of forest resources. The effect was the disappearance of NTFPs, scarcity of water and drastic environmental effects.

Since 2008, COMAID has worked with the local community to protect the forest. The ITF and Worktop Express funded project will be enhancing that protection further. There will be the establishment of a buffer around the forest where native NTFPs species will be planted for the benefit of the community.

Kenneth Kumecha Tah, COMAID’s Head of Conservation anticipates that at least 6 nurseries of native tree species of high economic value will be established and over 21,500 trees planted with community members trained in forest knowledge and skills.

Tree focus: Prunus africana or Red Stinkwood

Red Stinkwood trees will be planted and the bark will be harvested sustainably and sold to be used in alternative medicine against prostate cancer while more locally it is used to fight against malaria fever. 6000 Cola acuminates will be grown which produces edible nuts and a fabric dye used for local dresses. The nut is also a source of caffine originally used in a fizzy soft drink and is where the word “cola” comes from.

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