DOCSLIB.ORG

Fonio, Where It Is Mainly Sold As a Fair Trade and Exotic Product

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Fonio, Where It Is Mainly Sold As a Fair Trade and Exotic Product Fonio is considered a “minor” cereal compared to “major” cereals such as rice, wheat and corn. However it is the staple food of many rural families in West Africa. It was recently ‘re-discovered’ by urban consumers in major African cities and has appeared on European and North American markets, Fonio, where it is mainly sold as a Fair Trade and exotic product. Well suited to local conditions, this small grain can play an important role in the food security of southern countries, and in soil preservation an African cereal by ensuring plant cover on ecologically vulnerable land. This book–the first of its kind on the subject of fonio–provides a comprehensive study of this grain, from cultivation to processing, and even includes a few recipes. It is mainly intended for producers, technicians and development partners, but will also be of interest Béavogui F. Cruz, J.F. to anyone looking for information about fonio, such as teachers, students, agronomists, technologists, as well as curious consumers. Jean-François Cruz, Famoï Béavogui Jean-François Cruz is a research engineer at CIRAD (Agricultural Research Centre with the collaboration of for International Development), in Montpellier. He specialises in cereal post-harvest Djibril Dramé and Thierno Alimou Diallo technologies, and has coordinated several international projects on fonio. He has already published several works on grain preservation in hot regions. Famoï Béavogui is Managing Director of IRAG (Guinea Agronomic Research Institute) in Conakry. He is an agronomics engineer, with a PhD in rural studies, and specialises in agricultural production systems and land dynamics. Djibril Dramé is a food technologist. After working as a researcher at the food technology laboratory of the IER (Institute for Rural Economy) in Bamako, he is now an expert at the FAO Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division, in Rome. Thierno Alimou Diallo is a plant breeder and long time manager of the “fonio program” of the IRAG (Guinea Agronomic Research Institute) Centre of Bareng in the Fouta Djalon. an African cereal an African CIRAD, UMR QUALISUD Fonio, Fonio, TA B-95/16 - 73 rue Jean-François Breton 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France ISBN: 978-2-87614-720-1 IRAG, BP 1523 Conakry, Guinea Fonio, an African cereal Jean-François Cruz and Famoï Béavogui with the collaboration of Djibril Dramé and Thierno Alimou Diallo This book is the updated translation of an original book titled “Le fonio, une céréale africaine” (by Jean-François Cruz, Famoï Béavogui, with the collaboration of Djibril Dramé) and published in 2011 by Éditions Quæ, CTA, Presses agronomiques de Gembloux, collection Agricultures tropicales en poche. ISBN Quæ : 978-2-7592-1039-8 Publication of this English version is possible thanks to the Aval Fonio project (2012- 2016) financed by the African Union (EuropAid procedure). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the African Union or the European Commission. The African Union and the European Commission are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. ISBN: 978-2-87614-720-1 CIRAD 2016 http://www.cirad.fr/en/ This book is provided under the terms of the Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 4.0 International. This license gives you permission to share and adapt this material for non-commercial purposes providing you cite the material and that any new materials are distributed under the same conditions. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ 2 Table of contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................... 5 Preface ................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ........................................................................................11 1. Origin and geographic distribution .............................................13 2. The plant and grain .......................................................................15 Herbaceous plant ..................................................................................15 Miniscule, dressed grains .........................................................................18 3. Cultivation and production systems .............................................21 Characteristics of some fonio cultivation zones ............................................21 Scale of production ................................................................................40 Agricultural production practices ..............................................................41 4. Harvest and post-harvest ..............................................................53 Manual harvesting .................................................................................53 Storing and drying the sheaves .................................................................57 Threshing and winnowing .......................................................................60 Drying the grains .................................................................................63 Grain storage .......................................................................................63 5. Processing and grain quality .........................................................67 Physical structure and composition of fonio grain .......................................67 Hulling and whitening ..........................................................................76 Washing and degritting before cooking ......................................................80 6. Improving post-harvest technologies ...........................................83 Improving threshing techniques ...............................................................84 Improving cleaning/sorting techniques.......................................................88 Improving processing techniques – mechanisation of hulling .........................................................................93 7. Developing new products ...........................................................101 Precooked fonio ..................................................................................102 Parboiled fonio ...................................................................................103 3 Fonio, an African cereal 8. Improving processed fonio drying techniques ...........................109 Some initiatives to improve drying ..........................................................109 Dryers developed under the fonio project .................................................111 9. Trade ...........................................................................................117 The fonio trade in Guinea ....................................................................117 Precooked fonio trade ..........................................................................120 10. Consumption ............................................................................125 Consumption habits .............................................................................125 Preparation methods and recipes ............................................................128 Fonio as a health food .........................................................................133 Conclusion ......................................................................................137 Glossary ............................................................................................139 References.........................................................................................145 Websites ...........................................................................................151 Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................153 4 Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank everyone who has collaborated, directly or indirectly, in the three main “Fonio” projects executed since the early 2000s, and in some way made the completion of this work possible, and in particular: In France, Francis Troude and François Mazaud, now retired, who from their position in the FAO, respectively promoted and supervised the first fonio post-harvest technology improvement project. Nicolas Bricas, who was the initiator of the research undertaken by CIRAD on this cereal. The researchers and technicians at CIRAD Montpellier, who have participated in the various fonio projects: Ms Geneviève Fliedel, Ms Sandrine Dury, Ms Mila Lebrun, Thierry Goli, Thierry Ferré, Michel Rivier, Jean-Michel Méot, Patrice Thaunay, Joël Grabulos, Julien Ricci, Ms Virginie Lemaitre, Antoine Delpech, Jean-Paul Fleuriot, Olivier Gibert, Jacques Chantereau, Francis Forest, Didier Richard, Patrick Dugué, Frederic Lançon, Bernard Bridier, Jean-Luc Ndiaye, Sloan Saletes and for administra- tive support and promotion, Benoit Cervello, Ms Pascale Lantier, Ms Cindy Van Hyfte, Ms Nadine Lopez and Ms Anne Laure Perignon. Private sector partners: Philippe Gauthier from Racines, Christophe Eberhart and Ms Pauline Huet from Éthiquable, Ms Rachel Revesz from Gaïa, and Jacques Alvernhe from the NGO Le Damier. In Guinea, the researchers and technicians from IRAG (Guinea Agronomic Research Institute): Thierno Alimou Diallo, Sawa Camara, Youness Chaloub, Mamadou Minthé Camara, Ansoumane Sané, Moussa Doumbouya, Martin Tioutiouré Camara, Saïdou Diallo, Souleymane Sakho from the Bareng/ Timbi Madina IRAG Centre and Ms Madina Ndiaye from the IRAG Foulaya/Kindia Centre in Middle Guinea. Jacques Gigou (CIRAD/IRAG),
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Review of the Birimian Supergroup- and Tarkwaian Group-Hosted Gold Deposits of Ghana
    177 A review of the Birimian Supergroup- and Tarkwaian Group-hosted gold deposits of Ghana Albertus J. B. Smith1,2*, George Henry1,2 and Susan Frost-Killian3 1 DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis, Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa. *Corresponding author e-mail address: [email protected] 2 Palaeoproterozoic Mineralisation Research Group, Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa 3 The MSA Group, 20B Rothesay Avenue, Craighall Park, 2196, South Africa DOI: 10.18814/epiiugs/2016/v39i2/95775 Ghana is the largest producer of gold in West Africa, veins. The vein- and sulphide-hosted gold is strongly a region with over 2,500 years of history with regards to associated with deformational fabrics formed by the gold production and trade. Modern exploration for and Eburnean extensional and compressional events, mining of gold in Ghana dates from 1874 with the respectively, suggesting that disseminated sulphide establishment of the British Gold Coast Colony, which mineralisation predates quartz vein-hosted was followed in 1957 by the independence of Ghana and mineralisation. The fluid from which the gold precipitated increased gold production since the early 1980s through is believed to have been of metamorphic origin and Ghana’s Economic Recovery Plan. At the time of writing, carbon dioxide (CO2) dominated, with lesser water (H2O) gold production (108.2 tonnes or 3.48 million ounces and nitrogen (N2) and minor methane (CH4). Gold [Moz] in 2014) accounted for approximately one-third precipitation was probably caused by decrease in of Ghana’s export revenues, with 36% of gold production pressure, temperature and CO2-H2O immiscibility, at coming from small-scale mining.
    [Show full text]
  • Crabgrass for Forage FSA3138
    Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA3138 Crabgrass for Forage John Jennings Even though it has a reputation high-yielding growth type. Common Professor - Animal Science as a lawn weed, crabgrass is a high- crabgrass is also available. Crabgrass quality, very palatable grass that is has a wide range of growth types, so excellent forage for grazing livestock. a particular lot of common crabgrass Dirk Philipp It is a summer annual grass that seed may or may not have the desired Associate Professor - germinates in spring, grows through growth characteristics for forage pro- Animal Science summer and dies at frost in fall. Daily duction. weight gains or milk production of Kenny Simon livestock grazing crabgrass can easily Program Associate - exceed that from bermudagrass. It is Establishment Animal Science very productive under good manage- Crabgrass germination begins ment. Crabgrass works well to provide when soil temperature is around 58°F, summer forage when grown in mix- so planting can usually begin by mid- tures with cool-season grasses such as April. Planting after mid-June is risky tall fescue or with small grains used due to the lack of dependability of late for forage. summer rainfall. Seeding rate should be a minimum of 2 to 4 pounds of seed per acre, but planting 4 to 6 pounds Description per acre helps ensure better stands. Several species of crabgrass exist, Two-year-old seed has been noted to but the most common one grown for have a higher establishment rate than forage is large or hairy crabgrass one-year-old seed. The period from (Digitaria sanguinalis).
    [Show full text]
  • Demographic Characteristics, Agricultural and Technological Profile of Acha Farmers in Nigeria
    March, 2012 Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal Open access at http://www.cigrjournal.org Vol. 14, No.1 89 Demographic characteristics, agricultural and technological profile of acha farmers in Nigeria Theresa K. Philip, Isaac N. Itodo (Dept. of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria) Abstract: A quantitative research was undertaken to determine the demographic characteristics, agricultural and technological profile of acha farmers using structured questionnaire. The demographic profile of the respondents showed that 44% of the farmers are 30 - 44 years old, 25% aged 45 - 59 years, 17% are 15 - 29 years old and 10% are 5 - 14 years old, while 4% represented those of 60 years and above. Farmers that had no formal education were 57%, those that went through adult education were 8%, while the remaining 18%, 14% and 3% had primary, secondary and tertiary education respectively. Regarding agricultural profile the study showed that most of the acha farmers have farm holdings of less than 3 ha and most of them planted the white acha (Digitaria exilis) variety. All the farmers use manual power, emanating from self, hired, family or communal labour employing the hand-tool technology. Acha production and processing is at zero mechanization level, therefore 100% of the farmers indicated a desire for the mechanization of acha farming operations. This information is an indication that acha production needs to be mechanized and this can be done by introducing simple motorized technologies affordable to the farmers. Keywords: acha farmers, agriculture, demographic characteristics, digitaria spp, Nigeria, technological profile Citation: Philip, T.K., and Isaac N.
    [Show full text]
  • 24. Tribe PANICEAE 黍族 Shu Zu Chen Shouliang (陈守良); Sylvia M
    POACEAE 499 hairs, midvein scabrous, apex obtuse, clearly demarcated from mm wide, glabrous, margins spiny-scabrous or loosely ciliate awn; awn 1–1.5 cm; lemma 0.5–1 mm. Anthers ca. 0.3 mm. near base; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence up to 20 cm; spike- Caryopsis terete, narrowly ellipsoid, 1–1.8 mm. lets usually densely arranged, ascending or horizontally spread- ing; rachis scabrous. Spikelets 1.5–2.5 mm (excluding awns); Stream banks, roadsides, other weedy places, on sandy soil. Guangdong, Hainan, Shandong, Taiwan, Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, basal callus 0.1–0.2 mm, obtuse; glumes narrowly lanceolate, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri back scaberulous-hirtellous in rather indistinct close rows (most Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa (probably introduced), Australia obvious toward lemma base), midvein pectinate-ciliolate, apex (Queensland)]. abruptly acute, clearly demarcated from awn; awn 0.5–1.5 cm. Anthers ca. 0.3 mm. Caryopsis terete, narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 3. Perotis hordeiformis Nees in Hooker & Arnott, Bot. Beech- 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer and autumn. 2n = 40. ey Voy. 248. 1838. Sandy places, along seashores. Guangdong, Hebei, Jiangsu, 麦穗茅根 mai sui mao gen Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand]. Perotis chinensis Gandoger. This species is very close to Perotis indica and is sometimes in- Annual or short-lived perennial. Culms loosely tufted, cluded within it. No single character by itself is reliable for separating erect or decumbent at base, 25–40 cm tall. Leaf sheaths gla- the two, but the combination of characters given in the key will usually brous; leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 2–4 cm, 4–7 suffice.
    [Show full text]
  • The Diversity Distribution Pattern of Ruderal Community Under the Rapid Urbanization in Hangzhou, East China
    diversity Article The Diversity Distribution Pattern of Ruderal Community under the Rapid Urbanization in Hangzhou, East China Mingli Zhang 1,2, Kun Song 1,3,4,* and Liangjun Da 1,3,4,* 1 School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; [email protected] 2 Hangzhou Vocational & Technical College, Hangzhou 310018, China 3 Shanghai Key Laboratory for Ecology of the Urbanization Process and Eco-restoration, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China 4 Institute of Eco-Chongming, Shanghai 200241, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (K.S.); [email protected] (L.D.) Received: 4 March 2020; Accepted: 19 March 2020; Published: 23 March 2020 Abstract: The process of rapid urbanization has affected the composition and diversity of urban vegetation species. The process of urbanization from 2000 was analyzed in the area of "one major city with three vice cities and six groups", according to the urban master planning of Hangzhou from 2001 to 2020. The results show that dramatic changes have occurred for land use types during the ten years from 2000 to 2010 in Hangzhou, of which urban land has become the main type of land use and the area of arable land has presented serious loss. This study found that the Gramineae and Compositae species were the main groups of ruderals in 1665 quadrats, which reflected the characteristics of a few large families. The number of Monotypic and Oligotypic family/genera accounted for 67.3% of the total number of families and 97.5% of the total number of genera.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Budget Justification 2015
    U.S. AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION Pathways to Prosperity “Making Africa’s Growth Story Real in Grassroots Communities” CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION Fiscal Year 2015 March 31, 2014 Washington, D.C. United States African Development Foundation (This page was intentionally left blank) 2 USADF 2015 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION United States African Development Foundation THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC We are pleased to present to the Congress the Administration’s FY 2015 budget justification for the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). The FY 2015 request of $24 million will provide resources to establish new grants in 15 African countries and to support an active portfolio of 350 grants to producer groups engaged in community-based enterprises. USADF is a Federally-funded, public corporation promoting economic development among marginalized populations in Sub-Saharan Africa. USADF impacts 1,500,000 people each year in underserved communities across Africa. Its innovative direct grants program (less than $250,000 per grant) supports sustainable African-originated business solutions that improve food security, generate jobs, and increase family incomes. In addition to making an economic impact in rural populations, USADF’s programs are at the forefront of creating a network of in-country technical service providers with local expertise critical to advancing Africa’s long-term development needs. USADF furthers U.S. priorities by directing small amounts of development resources to disenfranchised groups in hard to reach, sensitive regions across Africa. USADF ensures that critical U.S. development initiatives such as Ending Extreme Poverty, Feed the Future, Power Africa, and the Young African Leaders Initiative reach out to those communities often left out of Africa’s growth story.
    [Show full text]
  • Allelopathic Potential of Mustard Crop Residues on Weed Management
    J Bangladesh Agril Univ 16(3): 372–379, 2018 https://doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v16i3.39398 ISSN 1810-3030 (Print) 2408-8684 (Online) Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University Journal home page: http://baures.bau.edu.bd/jbau, www.banglajol.info/index.php/JBAU Weed diversity of the family Poaceae in Bangladesh Agricultural University campus and their ethnobotanical uses Ashaduzzaman Sagar, Jannat-E-Tajkia and A.K.M. Golam Sarwar Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh ARTICLE INFO Abstract A taxonomic study on the weeds of the family Poaceae growing throughout the Bangladesh Agricultural Article history: University campus was carried out to determine species diversity of grasses in the campus. A total of 81 Received: 03 July 2018 species under 46 genera and 2 subfamilies of the family Poaceae were collected and identified; their uses Accepted: 19 November 2018 in various ailments were also recorded. Out of the three subfamilies, no weed from the subfamily Published: 31 December 2018 Bambusoideae was found. Among the genera, Digitaria, Eragrostis, Brachiaria, Panicum, Echinochloa and Sporobolus were most dominant in context to number of species with a total of 29 species. While 28 Keywords: genera were represented by single species each in BAU campus; of these 15 genera were in Bangladesh as Grass weeds; Phenology; well. Some of them are major and obnoxious weeds in different crop fields including staples rice and Taxonomy; BAU campus; wheat. The flowering period will be helpful for the management of respective weed population. Many of Ethnobotanical uses these weed species have high economical, ethnomedicinal and other uses.
    [Show full text]
  • Cloth, Commerce and History in Western Africa 1700-1850
    The Texture of Change: Cloth, Commerce and History in Western Africa 1700-1850 The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Benjamin, Jody A. 2016. The Texture of Change: Cloth, Commerce and History in Western Africa 1700-1850. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33493374 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Texture of Change: Cloth Commerce and History in West Africa, 1700-1850 A dissertation presented by Jody A. Benjamin to The Department of African and African American Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of African and African American Studies Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2016 © 2016 Jody A. Benjamin All rights reserved. Dissertation Adviser: Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong Jody A. Benjamin The Texture of Change: Cloth Commerce and History in West Africa, 1700-1850 Abstract This study re-examines historical change in western Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the lens of cotton textiles; that is by focusing on the production, exchange and consumption of cotton cloth, including the evolution of clothing practices, through which the region interacted with other parts of the world. It advances a recent scholarly emphasis to re-assert the centrality of African societies to the history of the early modern trade diasporas that shaped developments around the Atlantic Ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • Processing, Nutritional Composition and Health Benefits of Finger Millet
    a OSSN 0101-2061 (Print) Food Science and Technology OSSN 1678-457X (Dnline) DDO: https://doi.org/10.1590/fst.25017 Processing, nutritional composition and health benefits of finger millet in sub-saharan Africa Shonisani Eugenia RAMASHOA1*, Tonna Ashim ANYASO1, Eastonce Tend GWATA2, Stephen MEDDDWS-TAYLDR3, Afam Osrael Dbiefuna JODEANO1 Abstract Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) also known as tamba, is a staple cereal grain in some parts of the world with low income population. The grain is characterized by variations in colour (brown, white and light brown cultivars); high concentration of carbohydrates, dietary fibre, phytochemicals and essential amino acids; presence of essential minerals; as well as a gluten-free status. Finger millet (FM) in terms of nutritional composition, ranks higher than other cereal grains, though the grain is extremely neglected and widely underutilized. Nutritional configuration of FM contributes to reduced risk of diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and gastro-intestinal tract disorder when absorbed in the body. Utilization of the grain therefore involves traditional and other processing methods such as soaking, malting, cooking, fermentation, popping and radiation. These processes are utilised to improve the dietetic and sensory properties of FM and equally assist in the reduction of anti-nutritional and inhibitory activities of phenols, phytic acids and tannins. However, with little research and innovation on FM as compared to conventional cereals, there is the need for further studies on processing methods, nutritional composition, health benefits and valorization with a view to commercialization of FM grains. Keywords: finger millet; nutritional composition; gluten-free; antioxidant properties; traditional processing; value-added products. Practical Application: Effects of processing on nutritional composition, health benefits and valorization of finger millet grains.
    [Show full text]
  • Imams of Gonja the Kamaghate and the Transmission of Islam to the Volta Basin Les Imams De Gonja Et Kamaghate Et La Transmission De L’Islam Dans Le Bassin De La Volta
    Cahiers d’études africaines 205 | 2012 Varia Imams of Gonja The Kamaghate and the Transmission of Islam to the Volta Basin Les imams de Gonja et Kamaghate et la transmission de l’islam dans le bassin de la Volta Andreas Walter Massing Electronic version URL: https://journals.openedition.org/etudesafricaines/16965 DOI: 10.4000/etudesafricaines.16965 ISSN: 1777-5353 Publisher Éditions de l’EHESS Printed version Date of publication: 15 March 2012 Number of pages: 57-101 ISBN: 978-2-7132-2348-8 ISSN: 0008-0055 Electronic reference Andreas Walter Massing, “Imams of Gonja”, Cahiers d’études africaines [Online], 205 | 2012, Online since 03 April 2014, connection on 03 May 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/etudesafricaines/ 16965 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/etudesafricaines.16965 © Cahiers d’Études africaines Andreas Walter Massing Imams of Gonja The Kamaghate and the Transmission of Islam to the Volta Basin With this article I will illustrate the expansion of a network of Muslim lineages which has played a prominent role in the peaceful spread of Islam in West Africa and forms part of the Diakhanke tradition of al-Haji Salim Suware from Dia1. While the western branch of the Diakhanke in Senegambia and Guinea has received much attention from researchers2, the southern branch of mori lineages with their imamates extending from Dia/Djenne up the river Bani and its branches have been almost ignored. It has established centres of learning along the major southern trade routes and in the Sassandra- Bandama-Comoë-Volta river basins up to the Akan frontier3. The Kamaghate imamate has been established with the Gonja in the Volta basin but can be traced back to the Jula/Soninke of Begho, Kong, Samatiguila, Odienne and ultimately to the region of Djenne and Dia.
    [Show full text]
  • REDERC (Benin).Pdf
    Empowered lives. Resilient nations. THE COMMUNITY NATURE RESERVE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK (REDERC) Benin Equator Initiative Case Studies Local sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that work for people and for nature. Few publications or case studies tell the full story of how such initiatives evolve, the breadth of their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practitioners themselves guiding the narrative. To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to fill this gap. The following case study is one in a growing series that details the work of Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local success to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models for replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reference to ‘The Power of Local Action: Lessons from 10 Years of the Equator Prize’, a compendium of lessons learned and policy guidance that draws from the case material. Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database. Editors Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Corcoran Managing Editor: Oliver Hughes Contributing
    [Show full text]
  • Common Edible Plants of Africa
    Domesticates Geographical Distribution Morphology/Description Common, edible fruits Oil Palm Tropical Africa, cannot tolerate full A tree. The oil palm is now one of the most economically Elaeis guineensis shade, but prefers disturbed important palms in Africa. It has a walnut-size fruit habitats5 clustered in big pods, with a fibrous pulp rich in oil (which is rich in energy, fatty acids, and a great source of Vitamin West African origins, but has 6, A). Within the husk is a hard-shelled seed containing an spread throughout tropical Africa edible kernel (eaten by chimps and people). (The sap is tapped to make palm wine too.) The species still grows wild, as well as being cultivated and planted by people. The wild form growing in the Ituri Forest in the Congo, provides 9% of the total caloric intake for the Efe pygimies, for example (Bailey and Peacock 1988, McGrew 1992). Okra Savanna, full sun areas Possible originated in East Africa6 Hibiscus esculentus5 Melon Continent Wild varieties of this melon still grow in many arid and Citrullus lanatus5 semi-arid regions of the continent. They are smaller, and more bitter/toxic than the domestic versions. Gourd Tropical Africa Lagenaria siceraria7 Desert Date Dry regions of the continent Scrambling shrub. Fruits are 1-2 inches long, with fibrous, Balanites aegyptiaca oily flesh and large seed. Baobab Widespread in south-central Africa Large tree with huge trunk. Dry, fleshy pods 8-10 inches Adansonia digitata in semi arid regions long containing numerous seeds P380: Common edible plants of Africa - 1 - Horned melon, wild cucumber Widespread in Savannas Wild varieties of cucumis, the cucumber genus, grow Cucumis (many species) widely as spreading vines on the ground in savanna regions.
    [Show full text]