Support to Nagoya protocol implementation, research and development, on Biodiversity value chain for small holders in the South West and Far North Regions of Cameroon To support the operationalization of the ABS  national framework, by enabling access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge that accrues tangible national and local economic benefits from their commercial utilization in a fair, equitable, and sustainable manner. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. Through the support for policy, legislation and institutional structures for ABS in the country, the project will institute legal and administrative mechanisms that will enable indigenous groups and other communities who are custodians of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge to directly benefit from conservation efforts. Such benefits would accrue on the longer-term through partnership arrangements between private sector and local communities for bioprospecting and commercialization of genetic resources. The project will develop an ABS framework for access and benefit sharing of the country’s genetic resources to generate economic benefit to the nation, its people, business firms and local and indigenous communities, in the form of business, employment, technology transfer and capacity development.   Given the economic significance of biological and genetic resources in the Fra North and the South-West Regions of Cameroon, it is expected that this project will create significant socio-economic and development benefits for the regions and the country at large. Local populations of the Manyu, Kupe Muanenguba Divisions of the South-West Region and Mayo Kani Division of the Far North Region, and holders of associated traditional knowledge, as well as national users (private enterprises) of genetic resources are expected to benefit through newly created commercial and economic opportunities, employment opportunities, and through the fair and equitable sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits. Positive social impacts are expected from the new livelihood opportunities generated by developed ABS value chains and the increased local capacities generated, including contributing to greater resilience, life expectancy and poverty eradication.   For perspective, NTFPs in general constitute a regular source of income (even though not the most important) for rural households due to their diversity. About 38% of vegetal NTFPs are used as food and the annual economic value for 16 of them is estimated at 32 billion XAF (64.7 million USD). Their value added is estimated at 6.4 billion XAF (13 million USD) representing 0.2% of the GDP of the country with at least 283,000 people involved[1].The project will focus on the population that is comprised of the producers (collectors) and traders of Irvingia spp in the Manyu, Kupe Muanenguba Divisions of the South-West Region and Mayo Kani Division of the Far North Region. NTFPs constitute the largest and major source of income for collectors in both regions. This finding indicates that NTFPs play a significant role in the livelihoods of the village communities in the project area contributing to as much as 39% of overall household income[2], followed by subsistence agriculture, other sources, cash crops and small trade. These benefits largely accrue to women, who dominate the value chain at all stages. Women are widely recognized as important holders and users of GRs and aTK. Women’s role and position in the ABS value chains will be enhanced as their capacity is built to effectively engaged as viable stakeholders in the GR and aTK sectors. Women’s groups already active in related sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry will also be engaged. These actions will help contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment.  Besides the financial and economic benefits, gains will accrue from building the capacity of the local communities to effectively engage in the value chains of identified project species, and in developing approaches to the use of GRs and aTK that respect sound ABS principles.  Financial benefits from value chains of project identified species    Financial benefits from the Irvingia wombulu value chain: A farmer can expect to gain about US$300 annually through kernel sales from a mature I. wombolu tree (Uzo 1980, cited in Okolo 1994). Despite the high value of the products, production is generally at the subsistence level (Agbor 1994). In a study in the South of Cameroon, for example, van Dijk (1997) found that only 20% of the bush mango harvest was sold, yet Malleson (1997) reports that forest spices, including Irvingia spp., are the main income generators for women in the Korup Forest of Cameroon. It seems that although farmers only sell a small percentage of their harvest, those sales alone account for a relatively large proportion of their annual income. A baseline study[3] on Irvingia wombulu in the South-West of Cameroon revealed that out of 75 tons of I. wombulu produced in the villages in South-West Regions in 2008, only 25 tons were sold. This trade yielded a market value of 45,240,000 FCFA (US$90,480).   Bush mango was named as the most important forest product harvested by producer households, contributing 31% on average to NTFP-related incomes and constituting 39% of total household income in the South-West Region. Both men and women, aided by their children, harvest bush mango. A typical harvester has been collecting for 15 years, is in the mid-thirties, married, educated to primary (in the South-West Region). Harvester profit margins in South-West were higher than in the East at 1198 FCFA/kg and 627.5 FCFA/kg respectively where the same fruits are harvested and sold. Retailers of bush mango had lower margins of 222 FCFA/kg than intermediaries at 1198 FCFA/kg. Transformation and adding value by producers is limited to drying, with only 12% of producers producing paste, a pressed “cake” or oil. One small enterprise, MISPEG in the SW was able to make a margin of 3780 FCFA/kg, as a result of its processing bush mango into powder, and in the East, 225 FCFA was lost for each 1 kg of Irvingia spp. transformed into paste and sold. Of total production, on average 32% is consumed, 31% is sold, 27% given as gifts and 8% perishes.   Financial benefits from the Balanites aegyptiaca value chain: A study conducted in 2019[1] to evaluate the diversity of edible plant products in the Logone flood plain revealed that a total annual quantity of fruits collected was 382.9 t. These great quantities came from fruit collection from the 10 most popular fruit species (Figure 2). The most exploited fruits in order of importance of fruits collected were: Balanites aegyptiaca (87.45 t), Borassus aethiopum (81.2 t), Hyphaene thebaica (78.8 t) and Ziziphus mauritiana: (73. 75 t). On the other hand, Hexalobus monopetalus (1.2 t) and Detarium microcarpum (3.5 t) recorded the smaller quantities. Ximenia americana (23.3 t); Sclerocarya birrea (12.3 t) and Tamarindus indica (16.4 t) produced significant amounts. The total annual quantity of leaves collected from Balanites aegyptiaca and Adansonia digitata was 85.93 t. The collected Bombax costatum flowers were quantified at 1.66 t (Figure 2). The high increasing population, the low agricultural production and poverty favored overexploitation of the edible species.   The total annual quantity of Balanites aegyptiaca seed collected was 31.86 t. The hypocotyls exploited annually was 47.37 t (Figure 1). Only two species were exploited for at least two types of edible and commercial valuable: Balanites aegyptiaca for fruits, leaves and seeds and Borassus aethiopum for fruits and hypocotyls. The marketing of large quantities of collected products made it possible to report an increase in the economy of rural households or a substantial total income of 31 478 990 francs CFA. The fruits were sold for 8 550 715 F CFA, the seeds and hypocotyls yielded 14 497 775 F CFA, the contribution of the leaves was 809500 F CFA and that of the flowers was 246 000 F CFA. "Yabande" brought a modest sum of 175 000 CFA francs. The economic value and contribution of these products to the people's economy was very important. For some households, the annual aggregate income from the sale of the harvest products was an important farm income. The combination of these revenues thus enabled farmers to cope with the food deficit.  Financial benefits from the Acacia nilotica value chain: Acacia nilotica Pods/fruit are sold in some villages of the far north Region at 3000 FCFA/kg. Its fruits are generally purchased by slaughterhouses and are used for tanning skins and feeding cattle. The leaves serve as fodder for cattle, while the Bark are used in traditional pharmacopoeia for the treatment of children. Its wood is used as firewood, charcoal and in the manufacture of handles for agricultural tools.The trees are used, thanks to their very sharp thorns, as quickset hedges to protect fields against wandering animals. The branches will play the same role, but as dead hedges. Bundles of wood: Between 04 and 05 wood cost 300F CFA to 1000 FCFA/bundle, depending on the size (rural market and/or urban market). A. nilotica is an agroforestry and urban forestry tree species, which also provide fruits, timber, fodder, gums and other services such shade, beauty, soil improvement. It is used for climate change mitigation, adaptation and phytomediation.  Financial benefits from the Monodora myristica value chain: A survey conducted to investigate the harvesting pattern, marketing channels and price of Monodora myristica in Wabane Sub-division, South-West Region of Cameroon in 2021[1] showed that out of 50.05 tons of Monodora myristica harvested, 45 tons were sold. The annual trade value of Monodora myristica for this harvest was observed to be 40,228,600 FCFA and 44,378,000 FCFA for harvesters and retailers, respectively.           [1] Harvesting and Marketing Pattern of Monodora myristica and Afrostyrax kamerunensis in Wabane Sub-division in the South-West Region of Cameroon? Ndumbe et al.; JAERI, 23(2): 1-9, 2022; Article no.JAERI.84659            [1] Froumsia Moksia, Souare Konsala, Todou Gilbert, Hamawa Yougouda, Nnanga Jeanne Flore, Tchobsala; 2019, Evaluation of Wild Edible Plant Species in the Logone Valley, Cameroon; Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences, 9(11)1-12, 2019            [1] Awono et al, (2016). Vegetal non-timber forest products in Cameroon, contribution to the national economy International Forestry Review Vol.18(S1),       [2] Ewane et al, (2009), Baseline study on Irvingia spp. in the South West and East Regions of Cameroon, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268807856       [3] Baseline study on Irvingia spp. in the South-West and East Regions of Cameroon (https://www.academia.edu/30361264/Baseline_study_on_Irvingia_spp_in_the_South_West_and_East_Regions_of_Cameroon)