Welfare impacts of non-timber forest product exploitation: evidence from rural households in Burkina Faso

This paper examines the relationship between non-timber forest product (NTFP) exploitation and the welfare of rural households in Burkina Faso. Using survey data collected from 528 rural households, this study uses an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model complemented by propensity score matching (PSM) as a robustness analysis. Household welfare is measured using two key indicators, namely, per capita income and per capita food expenditures. The empirical findings suggest that participation in NTFP exploitation is positively associated with household welfare outcomes. ESR estimates indicate that households engaged in NTFP exploitation would have experienced an average reduction of approximately €190.25 per capita in income and €144.24 per capita in food expenditures had they not participated in these activities. Conversely, nonparticipating households could potentially achieve gains of about €36.54 per capita in income and €74.79 per capita in food expenditures through participation in NTFP exploitation. Although the estimated treatment effects differ somewhat across econometric approaches, the PSM results remain qualitatively consistent with the ESR findings, supporting the robustness of the positive association between NTFP exploitation and household welfare. Overall, the results suggest that NTFP exploitation constitutes an important livelihood strategy for improving income and food security among rural households. However, the sustainability of these welfare gains may be threatened by the degradation of forest resources resulting from climate change and increasing exploitation pressure. The study therefore highlights the need to strengthen sustainable forest management policies, social protection mechanisms and alternative income diversification strategies in rural areas.