Do non-timber forest products reduce household food insecurity in Burkina Faso?

Magloire Thiombiano

Abstract
This article analyses the effects of non-timber forest products (NTFP) on food security in Burkina Faso. For this purpose, a composite index (Composite Food Security Indicator Approach) was calculated using primary data collected from 384 randomly selected households. The novelty of this study is that it conducts an analysis of the value chain of NTFPs (production, consumption, processing and marketing). Using the conditional mixed process (CMP) model, the results show that households involved in NTFP marketing, production and processing are more likely to reduce their risk of food insecurity than consumer households. These results suggest that households should be encouraged and supported to domesticate, sustainably harvest, process and market these products to ensure higher, more stable incomes and reduce household food insecurity.