Like the rest of the globe, Forests in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continue to play a vital role when it comes to food security from the perspective of forest function of climate regulation, water provision, and soil protection. Nevertheless, most of the recent deforestation practices in various countries indicate that the region could face severe food insecurity in the near future since there are already signs of shortage in food production. This study, therefore, examines deforestation, climate change, and food security nexus in SSA while exploring a wide range of examples of food insecurity in the region. Content analysis and a synthetic literature study were conducted using data from scientific data banks. The study links deforestation, climate change to food security while citing examples from various SSA countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya to mention but a few. More so, the study investigates how deforestation contributes to climate change, and how such change directly affects agricultural output and hence food security. Lastly, the study discusses the various implication of deforestation in relation to food security.

Non-timber forest Products (NTFPs) are a broad category of natural resources harvested from forests that do not involve cutting down trees for their wood or timber. NTFPs play a vital role in the livelihoods and economies of many rural communities, particularly in forest-dependent regions. Despite the benefits obtained from NTFPS, little is known about its potential to alleviate poverty in the local communities. The objective of this review is to comprehensively assess the potential of NTFP's contribution to poverty reduction within forest fringe communities. The study employed the systematic review method to delve into the multifaceted relationship between NTFPs and poverty alleviation. We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocol (PRISM-P). In all, 58 research articles were reviewed. The results indicated that NTFPs hold significant promise as a tool for poverty alleviation. Globally, NTFPs have the potential to alleviate poverty and increase household incomes between 19% and 78% within forest fringe rural communities. In addition, the review indicated that countries in Africa and Asia depend highly on NTFPs and provide substantial amounts of income to the locals. However, the potential for NTFPs to reduce poverty is not uniform. It is highly contingent upon local ecological conditions, market accessibility, community involvement, and supporting policies and interventions. In conclusion, this systematic review demonstrates that NTFPs have a substantial role in poverty alleviation. This study underscores the need for continued research and targeted development initiatives to unlock the vast potential of NTFPs in addressing poverty challenges.