Exploitation, trade and farming of palm weevil grubs in Cameroon

Abstract

As raffia ecosystems are under threat and weevil grubs can provide an alternative food and income source through community-based forest management in Cameroon, a project was jointly implemented by the Living Forest Trust (LIFT), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) to study the sustainability of indigenous harvesting methods and trade in grubs, and to find ways to farm these insect resources. The study was conducted using a participatory research approach and by establishing an experimental grub farming scheme in which different food formulas were tested. Seven villages situated in the Center and East regions of Cameroon were selected and surveyed for a period of one year. The study was carried out in two phases: August 2013 to February 2014 and July 2014 to November 2014.