Importance of non-timber forest products in the livelihoods of rural communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Non-timber forest products support the livelihoods of ∼80% of people in the tropics. • While the focus is on wild meat and fish, other products are poorly investigated. • For a year, we monitored use in 457 rural households in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • People relied on forest products other than wild meat and fish for food and medicine. • Commercialization of these products can diversify income, easing pressure on wildlife. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are a crucial component in the livelihoods of people living in tropical and subtropical forest regions of the world. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country holding ∼60% of the Central African rainforest, 70% of its 115 million inhabitant is heavily reliant on NTFPs for nutrition and income. While the contribution of wild meat and fish to people’s livelihoods is well known, the importance of other NTFPs for people is less so. Here we monitored NTFP use in 457 households of six villages located in the periphery of Africa’s largest protected forest area, Salonga National Park, DRC. Across 12 months, 59,812 interviews revealed the use of 74 NTFP species (other than wild meat and fish). While some NTFPs, like leafy vegetables, were used consistently throughout the year, others were seasonal, like caterpillars and mushrooms. We found cultural differences in NTFPs use, with the main ethnic group in the area showing higher reliance on NTFPs than immigrant households. Although NTFP consumption was independent from household wealth, the proportion of NTFPs-generated income was associated with lower wealth index and larger household size. Our study reaffirms the nutritional, economic, and safety-net functions of forest resources for rural populations in tropical forest regions. However, it also suggests that while the sale of selected NTFPs may diversify rural cash-income while easing pressure on wildlife, the lack of infrastructure and poor market access make NTFP commercialisation a non-viable income-generating alternative in our study area. We recommend further research assessing the sustainability of large-scale harvesting, before promoting the commercialization of NTFPs as an alternative income-generating activity.