Access Benefit Sharing (ABS) is a fledgling project but has huge developmental potentials once it takes root in Cameroon, says Peter Schaurte after visiting the Echinops project site in Magha, Lebialem Division.

GV: You visited the Echinops ABS project in Magha recently, what impressions were you left with?

P. Schaurte: Unfortunately, we found out that the ABS process is threatened by local political issues but with ERuDeF and the ABS professional initiative, we tried our best to advance the process. Since we cannot get involved in local issues, we tried to deal with all stakeholders and it is now left for them to get things organized so that the ABS process can continue.

GV: Despite the challenges observed, any long-term vision for the project?

P. Schaurte: We are trying to facilitate the process. ABS is not yet well established not only in Cameroon, but worldwide. I see Cameroon with potentials for ABS especially with the rich biodiversity, which is linked to the bio-geographic diversity; from tropical rainforest mountains to the savannah; all the major ecosystems are represented. So, if this pilot phase works out well, I personally see ABS contributing to the development of Cameroon.

GV: What does the commercialization of echinops entail?

P. Schaurte: The projections are very clear; there is an essential aromatic products company, Mane et Fils that is interested in echinops. We are planning to export 1,000 kg of echinops in 2015, and then gradually go up to 3,000 kg in 2018.

This is a significant additional income source for the people of Magha-Bamumbu, which is where echinops is growing for now. We would have to see how the commercialization of the essential oil, which has been extracted from the plant goes; and if it goes well, there are still potentials to export even bigger quantities of the plant.

GV: Are there any benefits that await the people of Magha-Bamumbu through the exploitation of echinops?

P. Schaurte: That is still to be determined. It is part of the negotiations going on now and I cannot say how it is going to end.

It is to be discussed and negotiated between the three major stakeholders; the local community represented by traditional authorities, the government represented by the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) and the user company which is the French Aromatic Product company.

The first benefit, which is already sure is that they will sell the roots at the price which still needs to be negotiated. This is a root on which there has never been a price tag before, so that is an added advantage.

There are also many options of negotiating non-monetary benefits as well which can go into research, corporation and partnership, social infrastructure and many others. But these need to be discussed between the parties involved.

GV: Apart from Magha-Bamumbu, have you identified other areas with ABS potentials?

P. Schaurte: Like I said before, Cameroon is highly diverse in terms of regions and biodiversity, there is a very high potential, and we need to see whether we can get other private technical companies interested in such biological and genetic resources.

Generally, the potential is extremely high one of the reasons why not only the ABS initiative, but also local NGOs like ERuDeF and international organs like the UNDP and the German Development Corporation (GIZ) are interested to continue supporting the programme.