Full Length Research Paper

Building long-term relationships between producers and trader groups in the non-timber forest product sector in Cameroon

Foundjem-Tita D.^1,2,3*, Degrande A.³, D’Haese M.¹, Van Damme P.², Tchoundjeu Z.³, Gyau A.³, Facheux C.³ and Mbosso C.³

¹Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

²Laboratory for Tropical and Subtropical Agronomy and Ethnobotany, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

³World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF-AHT), P. O. Box 16317, Yaounde, Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: dftita@yahoo.com.  Tel: 00237 22 21 50 84. Fax: 22 21 50 89.

Accepted 12 August, 2011

 Abstract

Emerging literature on agricultural marketing in developing countries recommend some form of partnership/strategic alliances between producers and traders in order to overcome weaknesses of market access orchestrated by a weak institutional environment, prominent of which are poor road infrastructures and inadequate market information systems. Conversely the literature fails to discuss what is necessary to initiate, build and sustain such partnerships. This paper attempts to fill this gap by analysing the case of producer groups and traders in the non-timber forest products (NTFPs) value chains in Cameroon as they attempt to build a sustainable partnership based on trust and commitment. Despite low levels of satisfaction of the outcome of the relationship and low levels of trust between the NTFP producers and traders, they were committed to continue the alliance. We conclude that their commitment to continue the partnership is not related to relationship satisfaction and trusts that were projected to emanate from the respect of mutually agreed upon requirements. Instead, it is based on other strategic reasons like reducing transaction costs that is common in uncoordinated transaction.

Key words: Strategic partnership, trust, commitment, producers and traders, non timber forests products, Cameroon.