Reciprocity in ethnobotanical research: case of a study carried out in the Mbe plain of Adamawa, Cameroon

Abstract

Background:The reciprocity in the exchanges between the local populations who hold the authentic traditional knowledge that they share with the conservation biologists was not sufficiently taken into account. For fairness and justice in these exchanges, the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing was established. However, there is a lack of information on access and benefit sharing in unfunded ethnobotanical studies in Africa (MS and PhD research). Traditional knowledge on Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. a multipurpose Fabaceae, unfortunately threatened with extinction, exists in Adamawa, Cameroon. Thus, in relation to a Master Research thesis without funding, a study was dedicated to this plant.Methods: Ethnobotanical methods have made it possible to test the following hypothesis: for an equal number of men and women, the points attributed according to gender to the categories of reciprocity experienced during an ethnobotanical study without funding are equal. Thirty available informed consent volunteers (15 men and 15 women) with knowledge on this plant participated in this study.

Medicinal syrup for children from the association of significant parts of anti-COVID-19 medicinal plants from the Centre, Cameroon

“…The informants had to name the most used part for each of the four plants A. sativum, C. limon, C. citratus, and Z. officinale. Following the recommendations of the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing from local knowledge, informants who agreed to participate by name were cited as co-authors (Maxime et al 2020).…”