Benefit Sharing in Relation to the Commercial Exploitation of Prunus africana In The Mount Cameroon Area

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Benefit Sharing in Relation to the Commercial
Exploitation of Prunus africana In The Mount
Cameroon Area

• Marcelin Tonye Mahop
• Reserarch Scholar
• Queen Mary Intellectual Property research
  Institute
• Queen Mary, University of London
• t.m.marcelin_at_qmul.ac,uk and tonye2169_at_aol.com

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I- Prunus africana

• Prunus africana (Hook,f) Kalkman, is commonly
  known as pygeum
• It belongs to the family of Rosaceae
• It grows in monatane forest regions, preferably
  above 700 m and mostly 1000 m altitude
• It is found in more than twenty one countries
  accross Africa
• In Cameroon it is found in six provinces
  including South West province, North West
  Province, Western Province, Littoral Province,
  Central Province and Adamaoua Province
• It is known in local names in the areas where it
  grows. (e.g in pidgin it is called Kanda Stick
  in Bakossi it is caled Kwarh in Bakweri it is
  called Wotango in Oku it is called Vla)

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2-The Mount Cameroon Area

• Located in the South West Province of Cameroon
• Covers an area of approximately 2500 km2
• Altitudinal range from the Sea level to 4,095 m
• Prunus africana is patchily distributed in the
  Mount Cameroon from 700 m to 3000 m altitude
• Previous surveys suggest that the area has
  300,000 peoples distributed in 51 villages
• The major ethnic group is the Bakweri while the
  Bambuko and Balundu are also indigenous in the
  area
• The communities live from farming activities,
  growing a variety of food crops such as coco yam,
  pepper, plantains sold in periodic markets
• They are also involved in the gathering of Non
  Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) such as bush meat,
  eru (Gnetum spp), bush mango, Prunus africana
  used as food, traditional medicine and as income
  generating tools.

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3- Traditional and Modern Utilisation of Prunus
africana

• Pygeum is the fourth most popular medicinal plant
  the Mount Cameroon area
• Concoctions produced from bark and leaves are
  used in the treatment of malaria, stomach ache
  and fever
• Traditional healers use a mixture of Prunus bark
  and leaves with other species such as Trechillia
  sp and Olea capeusis in the treatment of
  syphilis, urinary disorders, in the regulation of
  blood pressure and in blood purification (these
  are not scientifically proven)
• The wood of Pygeum is also used traditionally in
  the production of charcoal, hoe handles,
  furniture, poles, and other utensils like mortar
• The modern utilisation of Prunus africana is
  related to the exploitation of its bark by
  pharmaceutical industries in the production of
  drugs against BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
• BPH or prostate enlargement affects men from
  around 40 years old. Its effects include the
  increasing urination frequency especially at
  nights, the inability to empty the bladder, the
  pain in passing urine and post urine dribbling.
• Several pharmaceutical companies across the world
  are producing prunus derived drugs against BPH.
• Drugs are known in many brand names such as
  Tadenan (Groupe Fournier France) Bidrolar
  (Spyfarma, Spain), Pigenil (Invernidella
  Beffa/Indena, Italy)

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4- Exploitation in the Mount Cameroon Area

• Commercial harvesting of Prunus bark in the Mount
  Cameroon Area can be traced back in the 1970s
• Plantecam Medicam, a subsidiary of Groupe
  Fournier, established at Mutengene, had the
  exclusive permit to harvest Prunus bark in this
  area
• The company employed harvesters from the Western
  Province, on the basis of their experience in the
  harvesting of Prunus bark
• Local populations were unhappy about two things
  they were not legally allowed to harvest Prunus
  bark for commercial purposes and they were not
  even employed by Plantecam
• They engaged in illegal activities
• Harvesting Prunus overnight
• Felling trees to maximise the harvest
• Stealing the products stockpiled by the
  harvesters employed by Plantecam mostly overnight
• Selling both the products of their own harvest
  and the stolen products to middlemen who bought
  are very low prices (100 FCFA/kg) and re-sold to
  Plantecam at higher prices (270 FCFA/Kg)

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5- Issues of Concerns

• Very low revenues raised by local populations
  from Prunus activities as they dealt with
  middlemen
• Illegal and unsustainable exploitation increasing
  the threat to the sustainability of Prunus in the
  Area
• Unsecured supply to Plantecam and threat to their
  activities
• Plantecam purchasing Prunus bark at higher prices
  from middlemen

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6- Approaches in Addressing the Issues local
agreements

• With the involvement of the Mount Cameroon
  Project, local forestry Staff and other
  stakeholders
• Negotiations were initiated aiming at helping
  Plantecam and local communities to work together
  within the framework of the harvesting of Prunus
  bark
• In 1996 Two Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
  involved in the harvesting of Prunus were
  established in two villages (the Mapanja Prunus
  Harvesters union and the Bokwango Prunus
  Harvesters Union)
• In 1997, Plantecam signed two agreements with
  the Harvesters Unions (Mapanja Prunus Harvesters
  Union in July 1997 and Bokwango Prunus Harvesters
  Union in September 1997)
• In respect of the agreement with the Harvester's
  Union of Mapanja, it provided that the Union
  would harvest Prunus under the exploitation
  permit of Plantecam and would supply 10t of
  Prunus bark per month to Plantecam
• Plantecam was expected to pay 209 FCFA/kg of
  dried bark supplied by the Union
• The union devised its own benefit sharing scheme
  on the revenues generated from Prunus bark
  supplied to Plantecam
• Each registered member of the Union was entitled
  to harvest up to 30 kg of bark a day
• The proceeds derived from 2kg of the daily
  harvest were put in the Village Development Fund,
  while the proceeds from 1kg were put in the
  Unions funds
• The proceeds from the remaining 27kg were
  personal gains of each harvester

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7- Outcomes, Impact on Rural Communities
Plantecam and the Resources

• Nine months after the agreements were signed, the
  Mapanja Harvesters Union raised 25 000 000 FCFA
  (about USD 41,423.3)
• 1,580,000 CFA (USD 2,618) went to the village
  development fund
• 1,072,760 FCFA (USD 1,778) covered the Union's
  running costs
• 22,347,240 FCFA (USD 36,996), shared among the 60
  members according to their individual input
• The village development fund contributed in two
  important development projects in the village
  including the water project and the
  electrification of the village
• The agreement brought the activities of members
  of the Union into legality as they harvested
  under plantecams permit
• Members of the Union were trained in sustainable
  harvesting practices
• More houses were built in the village by the
  members of the union
• Some members of the Union got married
• Many members of the union sent their children to
  schools

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8- Key Lessons

• Attempting to exclude rural communities from the
  commercial exploitation of their resources can
  lead to unsustainable use of such resources, thus
  increasing the threat of local depletion
• Involving rural communities in legal exploitation
  of the biological resources occurring in their
  areas can contribute to the improvement of their
  living conditions as well as promoting
  sustainability
• Local agreements between corporate bodies and
  rural communities can prove instrumental in the
  establishment of a benefit-sharing scheme in
  relation to the commercial exploitation of
  valuable biological resources at the local level,
  thus contributing to the implementation of the
  third objective of the CBD