Sustainability and profitability of Prunus africana: A case of harvesters adjacent to New Dabaga Ulangambi Forest Reserves

The bark of Prunus africana trees is harvested from the wild to meet increased demands for a prostate cancer remedy in Europe and the USA, as well as increased need for supplemental income in Africa. Several countries in Africa, such as Cameroon, Kenya and Tanzania supply Prunus africana bark to the global market. Increased demands for both health and economic reasons have led to the use of unsustainable harvesting practices, such as tree felling and ring barking. This can result in the decline, and in some places extinction, of Prunus africana.;The goals of this study are to contribute toward reducing unsustainable harvesting and improving income levels from Prunus africana. To achieve these goals the study developed replies to four questions: (1) What are the socioeconomic characteristics of the people involved in harvesting Prunus africana, (2) How do they do the business of harvesting, (3) How do the socioeconomic and the business variables affects income, and (4) How do the socioeconomic and the business variables affects unsustainable harvesting practices?;The six villages adjacent to New Dabaga Ulangambi Forest Reserves (NDUFR) in Tanzania were selected as a study site and data were collected from the harvesters of Prunus africana. A sampling frame could not be established so a complete census was undertaken and a total of 63 harvesters' interviews were obtained. Regression analysis was used to determine the variables that predict income and a logistic regression model was used to determine the likelihood that a harvester would use unsustainable harvesting practices.;Volume, price and training explain about 97% of the variation in income. A harvester who has received two or fewer training sessions is nine times more likely to carry out unsustainable harvesting than a harvester with three or more training sessions. Similarly, a harvester with less than a primary education is three times more likely to use unsustainable practices. Therefore encouraging harvesters with at least a primary education in harvesting could reduce the likelihood of using unsustainable harvesting practices. Training harvesters in conservation and business subjects is a possible solution that could improve their income and reduce unsustainable harvesting practices.