†SUMMARY The cultivation of indigenous and exotic fruits for sub-Saharan Africa’s domestic markets can bring increased revenues for smallholders and improve the diets of local consumers. There are, however, many bottlenecks which need to be addressed so that wider benefits from such activities are realised. Here, we describe key interventions being taken to address current constraints. For indigenous fruit trees, it is necessary to set priorities for which species to promote and to engage in participatory domestication for the improvement of yield, quality and germplasm delivery to farmers. For exotic fruits, ‘south-south’ transfer of advanced cultivars and the development of small-scale commercial suppliers of planting material are required to reinvigorate production. For both indigenous and exotic species, a focus on improving market value chains to bring greater benefits to producers is needed. We describe where further work is required to increase efficiency in the sector and to favour smallholder involvement.

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Improving Livelihoods and Nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa through the Promotion of Indigenous and Exotic Fruit Production in Smallholders' Agroforestry Systems: A Review

Summary Africa has abundant wild plants and cultivated native species with great agronomic and commercial potential as food crops. However, many of these species, particularly the fruits and nuts, have not been promoted or researched and therefore remain under-utilized. Moreover, many of these species face the danger of loss due to increasing human impact on ecosystems. Sudan, as in many other African countries, is endowed with a range of edapho-climatic conditions that favor the establishment of many plant species, most of which are adapted to specific ecological zones. Among these plants is the baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) which is a fruit-producing tree belonging to the family Bombacaceae. The baobab has an exceedingly wide range of uses ranging from food and beverages to medicinal uses. Despite its potential, which is well recognized, very little is known about the tree phenology, floral biology, husbandry or genetic diversity. In this article, we have aimed to bring out detailed information on various aspects of its botany, ecology, origin, propagation, main uses, genetic improvement and especially its importance for nutrition and poverty alleviation in the Sudan. Zusammenfassung In Afrika gibt es eine Fulle von Wildpflanzen und kultivierte einheimische Arten als Nutzpflanzen, die ein groses agronomisches und kommerzielles Potenzial besitzen. Viele dieser Arten, insbesondere die Obst- und Nussbaume, finden bis heute wenig Beachtung und sind wissenschaftlich kaum untersucht. Ihr Nahrungspotenzial wird bei weitem nicht ausgeschopft. Aufgrund des zunehmenden Einflusses der Menschen auf die Okosysteme sind viele dieser Arten vom Aussterben bedroht. Der Sudan ist, wie viele andere afrikanische Lander, mit einem Spektrum an edapho-klimatischen Bedingungen ausgestattet, die eine Etablierung vieler Pflanzenarten ermoglichen, die an die spezifischen okologischen Zonen angepasst sind. Zu diesen Pflanzen zahlt der Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), der zur Familie der Bombacaceae gehort und Fruchte produziert. Dieser Baum bietet eine Vielzahl von Verwendungsmoglichkeiten als Nahrungs- und Heilmittel, trotzdem ist erstaunlich wenig uber die Baumphanologie, Blutenbiologie, den Anbau sowie die Diversitat bekannt. In diesem Artikel werden unterschiedliche Aspekte wie Botanik, Okologie, Herkunft, Vermehrung, Nutzungsmoglichkeiten, Auslese wertvoller Herkunfte sowie besonders seine Bedeutung fur Ernahrung und Armutslinderung im Sudan diskutiert.

Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.): a Review on a Multipurpose Tree with Promising Future in the Sudan Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.): Ein Überblick über eine vielseitig verwendbare Baumart mit guten Zukunftsaussichten für den Sudan

The European Commission recently authorized the import of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pulp as a novel food. In rural West Africa the multipurpose baobab is used extensively for subsistence. Three hundred traditional uses of the baobab were documented in Benin, Mali, and Senegal across 11 ethnic groups and 4 agroecological zones. Baobab fruits and leaves are consumed throughout the year. The export of baobab fruits could negatively influence livelihoods, including reduced nutritional intake, change of power relations, and access rights. Capacity building and certification could encourage a sustainable and ethical trade of baobab fruits without neglecting baobab use in subsistence.

The importance of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) in rural West African subsistence--suggestion of a cautionary approach to international market export of baobab fruits.

This paper presents a review of agroforestry in Africa from a gender perspective. It examines women’s participation relative to men and the challenges and successes they experience. Particular agroforestry practices examined include fodder production and utilization, soil fertility management, woodlots and indigenous fruit and vegetable production and processing. The review shows that agroforestry has the potential to offer substantial benefits to women; however, their participation is low in enterprises that are considered men’s domain, such as timber and high in enterprises that have little or no commercial value, such as collection of indigenous fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the degree of women’s involvement relative to men in technologies such as soil fertility management, fodder production and woodlots is fairly high in terms of proportion of female-headed households participating but is low as measured by the area they allocate to these activities and the number of trees they plant. Data on whether women are able to manage agroforestry practices as well as men are mixed, although it is clear that women do most of the work. In cases where they do not perform well, the reasons are mostly due to scarcity of resources. In marketing, women are confined to the lower end of the value chain (retailing), which limits their control over and returns from the productive process. In order to promote gender equity in agroforestry and to ensure that women benefit fully, the paper recommends various policy, technological and institutional interventions. These include (1) facilitating women to form and strengthen associations, (2) assisting women to improve productivity and marketing of products considered to be in womens’ domain and (3) improving women’s access to information by training more women extension staff, holding separate meetings for women farmers, and ensuring that women are fully represented in all activities.

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Gender and agroforestry in Africa: a review of women's participation

Wild edible fruits hold great potential for improving human diets, especially in agricultural societies of the developing world. In Africa, a well-known supplier of such fruits is the baobab (Adansonia digitata L., Malvaceae), one of the most remarkable trees of the world. Several studies in different African countries have highlighted this indigenous fruit tree as a priority species for domestication and expanded use. However, internationally available information on baobab in East Africa, particularly in Sudan and Kenya, remains scarce. This review aims to shed light on the ecology, diversity and current level of utilization of baobab in East Africa in order to facilitate domestication and conservation of the species. A list of priority research areas is provided at the end of the review to encourage further studies and investment in this unique plant taxon.

B. O. Muok

Papers

The potential of indigenous fruit trees: results of a survey in Kitui District, Kenya.