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Forests provide adjacent communities with livelihood opportunities; during periods of uncertainty, shocks and stress, indigenous knowledge is used for alternate livelihoods. This study focused on the use of indigenous knowledge by local communities in the creation of agro-forestry alternatives amidst conservation programs in the Mount Oku Forest, North West Region, Cameroon. Based on frontline and secondary villages, three communities were randomly selected from the three tribes (Nso, Kom, and Oku) that make up the forest region. Selected Participatory Rural Appraisal tools were used to collect relevant data. Resources extracted from the forest were ranked; trees extracted from forest and planted in farms were identified, farm produce before and after the practice of agro-forestry was assessed. The paired sample t-test was used to test differences between agricultural productions from farms and livelihood opportunities before and after agro-forestry practices. The results indicated that there was a positive and significant difference (p < 0.05) in agricultural production and livelihood opportunities, viz-a-viz forest cover. Though there was diversification in livelihood opportunities, the lack of incorporation of basic scientific approaches of agro-forestry was a major limitation. There is need for a blend of indigenous and scientific knowledge and training of farmers, in the practicing of agro-forestry practices for forest sustenance and livelihood assurance in the Mt Oku area.
Foncha et al. (Wed,) studied this question.