Non-timber Forest Incomes and Economic Welfare in the South-west Region of Cameroon: An Approach towards the Incidence on Rural Income Inequality

Abstract

The study used primary data from a survey of 408 rural household heads to answer the question of whether or not Non-Timber Forest Products can contribute to reducing rural income inequality in Cameroon's South-West region. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. To achieve identical results, we used three alternative methodologies: the Gini Coefficient, the Lorenz curve, and the Income Decomposition by Income Sources. The findings demonstrated that income from non-timber forest products greatly reduces rural income disparity in the region's rural areas, and that they play an essential role among the many income sources evaluated. As a result, we advocate processing to increase the value of non-timber forest products. Improved benefits to the community as a whole will result from better management of the forest in general and forest resources in particular, particularly in terms of total income and income inequality.