Fotouni Forward: A Tropical Forest Community Restoration and Conservation Initiative

The Fotouni Forward Project operates within Fotouni, a kingdom situated in the Haut-Nkam Division, in the West Region of Cameroon. The number of Raffia palm groves in the kingdom has experienced a significant decline over the past 15 years. The various factors contributing to the reduction of the groves include agricultural practices (80%), insufficient regeneration efforts (30%), suboptimal farming techniques (26.67%), occurrences of bushfires (11.67%), and the prevalence of diseases (13.33%). The long-term goal of the FotouniForward Project is to regenerate the kingdom’s declining resources (including but not limited to Raffia palm groves), promote the kingdom’s biodiversity and empower communities to do this work themselves. Specifically, the project envisions a Fotouni kingdom where (a) the unique cultural and ecological heritage is preserved and protected for future generations, while promoting sustainable development and community well-being; and where (b) the natural environment is protected and restored, and wildlife and people coexist in harmony