TITLE:
Effects of the Diversification of Nontimber Forest Products on Human Development in Congo: The Case of Gnetum, Marantaceae and Rattan
AUTHORS:
Maxime Rodrigue Sah, Jacques Hakizimana, Donald Dimitri Onounga
KEYWORDS:
Non-Timber Forestry Products, Human Development, Congo
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Economy,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
18,
2021
ABSTRACT: The objective of this paper is to analyze the
effects of the diversification of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) on human
development in Congo. An error correction model (VECM) is used to achieve this
objective. The estimates are based on data from the statistical yearbooks of
the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) from 2018, UNDP in 2019, World Bank in
2020 and FAO 2018. The results show that in the Congolese context, particularly
in the forestry sector, NTFP diversification has no effect on human development
in the short term. In contrast, in the long term, the effect of NTFP
diversification on human development is positive and significant. These results
suggest the need for, on the one hand, the implementation of policies for the
conservation, protection and rational exploitation of forests and, on the other
hand, the continued implementation of initiatives to combat the abusive
exploitation of NTFPs.