Evaluating the Effect of Non-Timber Forest Products on Rural Livelihoods in Macula-Marrupa Corridor Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique: Implication for Income and Food Security

Abstract

Abstract: Contemporarily, there has been a growing interest in the role played by Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) towards improving livelihoods among rural populaces. This has been facilitated by the fact that communities living close to forest solely rely on NTFPs at a great extent for their livelihoods and thus, any effort in conserving such resources as a requirement in understanding how the host communities get to interact with them. The study employed a multistage sampling technique including proportionate and convenience sampling. A sample of 377 households was surveyed using a questionnaire. Key informant interviews with NTFP traders were conducted as well as observation on the commonly used NTFPs. Univariate and linear logistic regression analyses were employed in analyzing and summarizing collected data. The study revealed that 45.9% of community members are involved in selling NTFPs. Additionally, the collection, production and selling of NTFPs had a positive and significant influence on rural livelihoods in terms of food security and household incomes of people in Mecula-Marrupa Corridor (ß=0.368; p=0.010). For instance, collection, production and selling of firewood (ß=0.762; p=0.017); wild vegetables (ß=0.701; p=0.013); medicinal plants (ß=0.576; p=0.007); spices (ß=0.559; p=0.020), charcoal (ß=0.521; p=0.003); sisal (ß=0.649; p=0.037) and forage (ß=0.430; p=0.011); honey (ß=0.459; p=0.007), wild tubers (ß=0.399; p=0.022), wild fruits and nuts (ß=0.372; p=0.046) and ropes (ß=0.372; p=0.021) had a positive and significant influence on both food security and incomes of rural households. Even though, the collection of these NTFPs had contributed largely on food security (38.6%) and income generation (24.5%), production and selling of these products has remained less and on subsistence basis. It can be recommended that there is a need to provide domestic cooking energy alternatives such as biogas locally made energy saving stoves can reduce on the pressure of gathering fuel woods and charcoal