At the heart of Mambele, a small locality on the doorstep of Lobéké National Park, communities live to the rhythm of the forest — and also of “brown gold”: cacao. This crop represents one of the main sources of income for local communities, who are essential actors in the preservation of the Sangha Tri-National (TNS) landscape.
The FTNS, through the BRIDGE TNS Project, has been supporting local cooperatives and producers for more than two years in developing sustainable cocoa farming that combines improved incomes with protection of forest ecosystems. It was in this spirit that a validation and training workshop was recently held, with a dual objective: to strengthen the capacity of local actors and to document the results achieved in the sustainable cocoa sector.
Over three days, cooperative leaders, producers, and community actors braved rain and poor roads to address one essential question: how to better market local products while preserving the natural resources on which their future depends?
Building Marketing and Communication Skills
The training sessions covered the basics of marketing: understanding your market, identifying potential customers, and clearly defining the value of your products. But beyond theory, the workshop above all enabled participants to change the way they look at their own products. Through interactive exchanges and practical exercises, they understood that a quality product is not always enough — the way it is presented and the story told around it can be just as decisive.
Ms. Makene, president of a participating cooperative, summed up the impact of the experience: “We have been greatly blessed by this project. We learned how to better sell our products and how to take photos to communicate better. The communication plans will also help us engage better with our members, partners, and customers. BRIDGE has opened our eyes.”
Digital Communication: A Gateway to Markets
Particular emphasis was placed on digital communication, which has become an essential lever for increasing the visibility of local products. Cooperatives were introduced to the strategic use of social media, the creation of attractive content, and the promotion of their organizational identity. Practical photography sessions complemented this learning, allowing participants to directly experiment with how to showcase their products through imagery. For many, this approach opens a new door to markets well beyond their villages.
Promoting Products That Carry Conservation Values
Discussions also covered the positioning of products on local and regional markets, including through presentation and packaging, storytelling around the origin and environmental impact of products, and the building of a collective brand identity. These approaches aim to transform local products into true ambassadors of the TNS landscape, highlighting their connection to conservation and sustainable development. The workshop also served as a space for exchanges between cooperatives, enabling the sharing of experiences, challenges, and good practices.
Facilitating Access to Financial Services for Cocoa Farmers
The mission also featured the participation, Regional Director of Express Union Finance for the East and Adamaoua regions, who presented producers with financial service offers tailored to the needs of cooperatives. This visit was also an opportunity to inspect the premises of the future Express Union Finance branch in Mambele, made possible thanks to the support of the FTNS, which contributed to fitting out a space equipped with solar energy and high-speed satellite internet. This initiative is particularly strategic following the recent closure of the Salapoumbé branch, and represents a major opportunity for local producers to access financial services.
Toward Better Recognition of Local Initiatives
The information gathered during this workshop will feed into the communication and knowledge-sharing materials of the BRIDGE project. Through this type of initiative, the FTNS reaffirms its commitment to placing communities at the heart of conservation strategies, by supporting sustainable economic activities compatible with the protection of forest ecosystems.
In Mambele, this workshop was a reminder of a truth often underestimated: when communities have the tools to value their work, they themselves become the best ambassadors of the forest.
