Poverty and poor education are key determinants of high household food insecurity among populations adjoining forest concessions in the Congo Basin

• DOI: 10.1186/s40795-016-0070-x
• Publication Date: 2016-06-10T02:47:11Z
• Authors: Pauline Donn; Judith Laure Ngondi; Julius Chupezi Ti...; Donald Midoko Iponga; Obadia Tchingsabe; Robert Fungo; Mathurin Tchatat; Jean Marie Kahindo
• Keywords: forests; 2. Zero hunger; education; households; 1. No poverty; rural communities; food security; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; Congo Basin ; Household ; Forest-dwellers ; Food insecurity ; Forest concessions; gender; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

The trees and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) of the Congo Basin play a key role in alleviating food insecurity among millions people around world. Although many studies have been conducted both nationally regionally on issues Basin, little is known effects timber exploitation household statues dependent communities this region. This study focused determination principal indicators security status populations living six selected concessions Basin. We randomly surveyed 724 households thirty-four popular Food consumption pattern data was collected using validated food-frequency questionnaire 2012. Household Insecurity Access Prevalence (HFIAP) assessed HFIAP indicator were categorized into four levels as follows: secure (HFIAS = 0); mildly insecure 1–8); moderately 9–13); severely 14–27). majority interviewed headed by women (73.1 %, 76.6 58.6 % for Cameroon, DRC Gabon respectively), most them married (84.6 100 57.6 respectively) with an average age range 30–49 years. Most members engaged farming and/or illegal logging main revenue generating activities. Results global 63.8 Cameroon fully 36 insecure. In (92.9 %) (92.7 %), almost all survey either or insecure; clearly elucidating existence severe insufficiency quantity quality meant human nutrition these areas. means scores (17.40 ± 4.15) (14.9 5.87) significantly higher when compared to score ((7.55 6.62) at p < 0.0001. literally that especially face enormous difficulties obtaining adequate dietary energy supply. Gender (female), educational level (illiterate), (young) positively correlated levels. Our results revealed that, despite potential contribution forests, through enhancing access different forms foods such bush meat, wild foods, medicine, not forgetting provision agricultural land, local construction material, income generation resources, prevalence population adjoining region severe. alarming one concession Cameroon. Given poverty poor education insecurity, they considered paramount determinants