Non-Timber Forest Products and Community Well-Being: The Impact of a Landscape Restoration Programme in Maradi Region, Niger

The utilisation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) represents a key strategy for coping with food insecurity in rural areas worldwide, often resulting in their gradual depletion and extinction. One of the objectives of landscape restoration programmes is to restore depleted and conserve scarce NTFPs, as well as to preserve their various ecosystem services. However, the impact of these programmes on the well-being of local communities through their access to NTFPs remains understudied. The study focuses on the arid areas of the southern and central parts of the Maradi region in Niger in the Sahel, analysing how the landscape restoration programme contributes to improved access to NTFPs and their subsequent commercialisation to increase household incomes. The probit model with propensity score matching (PSM) reveals, on data from 379 households, that socioeconomic factors such as age, male gender, education level, and number of children, as well as access to NTFPs through donations, increase the chance of being selected as the programme beneficiary. On the other hand, ownership of goats, practising free collection, or purchasing NTFPs were typical for non-beneficiaries. The PSM analysis indicates that beneficiaries sell 11.81% more NTFPs on the market (p < 0.05). Furthermore, beneficiaries earn an average of 7297.40 CFA francs from forest products, compared to 3281.37 CFA francs for non-beneficiaries (p < 0.01). To enhance the impact of the programme, policymakers should prioritise outreach to underrepresented households and incorporate livestock management strategies. Strengthening local markets, storage facilities, and processing infrastructure can boost economic returns. Additionally, combining the conservation of NTFP-producing species with sustainable income activities can support both environmental and community resilience.