This was the main message conveyed by SAILD to the communities of the villages of Mansa, Hona, and Kambocassi in the Belabo district of eastern Cameroon. It was delivered from January 12 to 18, 2026, during community meetings organized in these localities.
The mission of the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD) in this region of the rising sun was to share the results of research conducted in August 2025 on the Total Economic Value (TEV) of certain natural resources used in cosmetics from Deng Deng National Park with the communities of three neighboring villages, namely Hona, Mansa, and Kambocassi. These resources include Moringa, Okan, Moabi, and Shea, with the aim of documenting local knowledge and assessing the economic value of these plants.
The results indicate that environmental goods and services have strong economic potential, incorporating direct, indirect, and non-use values. For example, a liter of moringa oil and shea oil cost 2,250 CFA francs and 4,475 CFA francs, respectively, in the localities surveyed. Meanwhile, Moabi and Okan have an estimated annual economic value of 7,162,531.7 CFA francs. Over the course of a week, SAILD publicized these results through community meetings in the localities targeted by the “Cosmetopoeia of the Congo Basin” project. From tradition to modernity: An offer of mediation of endogenous and exogenous knowledge in an economic intelligence approach,” led by SAILD with funding from the Cosmetic Valley Endowment Fund (2024 edition).
Promoting responsible exploitation
The local communities gave the SAILD team a warm welcome and listened attentively to the presentations, which proved to be enriching and beneficial for them. “The discussions allowed us to discover the many values of a plant used for cosmetic purposes, particularly the benefits of these plants, whether through their direct use during harvesting or through their sale after processing. We also understood the importance of practices such as agroforestry, which combines plants for cosmetic use with other crops, for more sustainable and profitable exploitation,” said the chief of the village of Kombocassi.
At the same time, a community exhibition highlighting plants, their photos, and their traditional uses was organized in each village. This allowed communities to share their opinions, identify any missing plants, and enrich the knowledge already gathered. The main concerns were the lack of knowledge about techniques for transforming plants into cosmetic products, as well as the lack of funding for the cultivation and promotion of these plants for cosmetic use. These issues highlighted the local populations’ needs for training, technical support, and financial resources to develop a local cosmetics industry that is sustainable and beneficial to the communities. It is therefore necessary to develop development strategies tailored to the needs of local populations in order to help promote the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources in the Congo Basin.
- Sharon Maché
- Joel Bela
