Food for Life. Indigenous Fruit Trees in Southern Africa

NON WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS

FOOD FOR LIFE INDIGENOUS FRUIT TREES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Michel Laverdiere and Stanley Mateke

April 2003

FAO SAFR HARARE ZIMBABWE

Table of contents

.\cknowledgements ...... iii List of Acronyms ...... iv Executive Summary ...... v Background ...... 1 Introduction ...... 1 1. SouthetTI Africa Vegetation ...... 2 2. Forestry Inventories and surveys ...... 4 2.1 Inventory of useful plants ...... 4 2.2 Surveys in the Miombo Woodland ...... 7 2.3 Other inventories that may bring more information on IFTs ...... 9 3. IFTs in semi-arid areas of Southern Africa ...... 12 4. Research efforts in IFTs ...... 13 5. Production potential of selected IFTs in their natural habitat ...... 14 Conclusion: The Future of Indigenous Fruit Trees ...... 16 Bibliography ...... 18

Table 1 1FT priorities in Southern Africa ...... 8 Table 2 Measurement of some biometric variables in a classical forest management inventory in Goba Mozambique ...... 9 Table 3 Estimation of productivity of Fullerforest in selected fruit tree species ...... 11

Figure 1 Vegetation map of the Miombo ...... 3 Figure 2 CategOlies of use of 300 useful plants in Southern Africa ...... 5 Figure 3 Some IFT products on test market within SADC ...... 15

Box 1 Science, traditional knowledge and culture ...... 6 Box 2 Production of oil from some IFTs ...... 12

Annex I Areas covered by forests in twelve SADC member states Annex II Some key woodland types and their relative predominance in 12 SADC member states Annex III List of selected useful food indigenous fruit trees of southern Aftica occurring in six or more countries Annex IV Notes of interest on the fruit production of 10 most prefelTed IFTs in southern Aftica Annex V Common products made from IFTs in the southern Aflican region Annex VI FAO Training on IFTs at Matopos, 2001 Annex VII List and Inventory Data of Selected Indigenous Fruit Trees Extracted from Main Inventory of Fuller Forest, Zimbabwe Acknowledgements

This paper was the result of close collaboration with Consultant Stanley Mateke from Bot$wana. Mr. Mateke produced a draft report leading to the present publication. The ~;upport of the following institutions is also much appreciated: Zimbabwe Forestry Commission, Safire Zimbabwe, Veld Products Botswana, the Directorate of Forestry and Wildlife in Mozambique, WWF Southern Africa, and ICRAF Southern Africa.

iii List of Acronyms

A-:3NAPP Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products

CRIf\A SADC Centre for Research Information Action in Africa, Southern Africa Development and Consulting

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (of the United Nations)

GTZ Gelman Technical Development Agency

ICRAF World Forestry Centre

IFTs Indigenous FlUit Trees

MASHA V Israeli Co-operation Agency

NGOs Non Governmental Organizations

SADC Southern Africa Development Community

SAFIRE Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (Zimbabwe)

SAFR Southern and East Africa Region (FAO)

SECOSUD . A Service for Environmental Conservation of Biodiversity and for Sustainable Development

TCP Technical Co-operation Program

VPR&D Veld Products Research and Development (Botswana)

WSSD . World Summit on Sustainable Development

iv Executive Summary

Feeding the world is an important endeavour. This fact was recognised at the World Food Summit and the WSSD of 2002. Food Seculity is the primary goal of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The Forestry Division of FAO is no exception when it comes to making every effort to provide opportunities for access to food.

Discussions and developmental plans on the use of Indigenous Fruit Trees (IFTs) have been at the forefront of initiatives in southern Africa, especially in the last decade. FAO's involvement has included seminars and the sponsoring of projects in the sub-region. This paper looks at the status and contribution of Indigenous Fruit Trees (IFTs) to Food Security in Southern Africa, and reviews and assesses the physical situation of IFTs in the Miombo Woodland. It contains infOlmation on use and trade of IFTs, and on biological developments in domestication and dissemination. It covers processing and marketing and explores avenues for the future of IFTs.

Natural forests and woodlands of the Southern Aflica Development Community (SADC) cover 682 million hectares. The natural woody vegetation types of the region range from moist forests to semi-alid savannah woodlands, alid shrubs, thorn steppe and coastal forests. A few inventories and surveys have been done of IFTs, but generally on a qualitative basis, like the SADC SECOSUD Project, which presented the results of an inventory of 300 forest plants.

Ethnobotanical surveys have also been done in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These surveys explored the current uses of IFTs, and identified problems that farmers experienced in their domestication effOlts. This led to strategies to domesticate and market the most prefened species. Reports also indicate that the IFT populations are diminishing with time due to the encroachment of arable farming, and villages and towns.

Vegetation mapping is available in all the countlies involved and covers dominant species as well as woodlands that include IFTs. The majolity of countlies in the Mombo have some fOlID of National Forest Inventory, and many intensive inventories of smaller areas for purpose of investment or management of the resource. These inventories usually record the number of stems of commercial species by dbh and height and sometimes regeneration. Some IFTs are also recorded dUling this process and correlation can be made between dbh and fruit production.

The ICRAF Project of IFT domestication has come out with the 3 following pliority species: Uapaca kirkiana (Wild loquat), Parinari curatellifolia (Mobola plum), and Strychnos cocculoides (Wild orange). Other species in dlier areas are also important for domestication. They are Adansonia digitata, Sclerocarya birrea, Schinziophyton (ex-Ricinodendron) rautanenii, Vitex mombassae, Anisophyllea boehmii, Azanza garckeana, Vangueria infausta, and Strychnos spinosa.

Sclerocarya birrea is not in the top three in the Miombo woodlands but is a very important IFT in the semi-arid areas of southern Africa where arable agriculture is very unreliable.

v Studies on propagation within the Miombo area have shown that many of these IFfs are easy to propagate vegetatively and by seed. These techniques must be more widely disseminated. A wide variety of development institutions are undertaldng activities in market research, economics of production, fruit product development, and farmer empowerment in fruit processing.

There is an increasing awareness of the importance of IFfs from the Miombo woodlands in terms of their contlibution to household nutrition and household income in southern Africa. An holistic approach to domestication and commercialisation of IFfs as tools for small business development is being tried in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Products such as jams, dried fruit rolls and fruit nectar have been found to be of high market value, though the actual marketing in volume has proven difficult for most small producers to achieve.

A search for information and documented expeliences concerning community-driven resource assessments from the southern Africa region and elsewhere yielded virtually no practical documentation on which the formulation of sustainable forest management plans for IFf extraction can be based. This is a critical gap in information that is required to detelmine management procedures that would allow sustainable harvesting of the IFf products. Therefore, it is timely that research and development institutions emphasise this aspect in their programs.

Very few publications are available on production potentials of IFfs either in their natural habitat or under cultivation. Some studies on production levels of selected species have been can-ied out in Botswana. Of these species, the most productive in terms of quantity (numbers and mass of fruit per tree) is Sclerocarya birrea while Adansonia digitata is the least productive.

Forest inventories and surveys need to be improved to include IFfs and reporting cliteria, such as flowering, fruiting, and branchiness. Furthermore there is a crying need for well targeted financial and capacity building assistance to smallholders to stimulate the creation of cottage industries at individual and cooperative levels. Correct marketing of IFf products is fundamental to the development of IFfs as an income-generating resource, and there is much need to fOlmalize marketing studies to encourage the sharing of market intelligence among groups. In this manner, producers would be motivated to find specific product niches and gain comparative advantage.

Except in South Africa, IFf domestication is still in its infancy in Southern Africa. Thus in order to keep markets, it wil1 be important to substitute "wild tree" fruit harvesting with IFf orchards on a gradual basis. In some instances this could lead to an outgrower scheme approach. Providing there is collaboration with the private sector and sustainable management of IFfs, the future looks promising for smallholders of the Miombo.

vi Background

Feeding the world is one of the most important moral and developmental endeavours of humanity. Without proper access to food and water, other basic human needs - such as shelter, and health and education - cannot satisfy population expectations for their livelihoods.

This fact has been plainly recognised in the World Food Summit and the WSSD of 2002. It has also unfortunately been the object of inhuman suffering by millions in southern Aftica. The situation of food deficits and the short and long-term solutions to solve th e problem remain still at the heart of discussions, and on the Agenda of many meetings, amongst southern African Heads of State.

Food Security is the ptimary goal of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and is indeed the core aim of programmes coordinated by the Sub-Regional Office for East and Southern Africa (SAFR). SAFR was established in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in order to provide countties of the sub-region with easy access to technical assistance and know-how.

The Forestry Division of FAO also endeavours to provide more opportunities for direct, or indirect, access to food. That is why this paper has chosen to examine more closely the status and contribution of Indigenous Fruit Trees to Food Security in southern Aftica.

Aflicans are all very familiar with these wild fruits often seen on the table. Many of them are so common that they are taken for granted. This is a bounty of nature, just waiting to be picked in the proper season. But times are celtainly changing, and these fruits are now more and more accessible in urban markets. And the demand is growing.

It is therefore impOltant to create better knowledge of the resource, and to develop improved methods and technologies in order to guarantee quality and expand the propagation of these valued species. It is also essential to have access to processing methods and to marketing outlets.

Introduction

Discussions and developmental plans on the use of IFTs have been at the forefront of initiatives on Non-Timber Forest Products in Southern Africa, especially in the last decade. A number of national institutions and regional organisations have been developing programmes aimed at assessing, domesticating, and disseminating selected IFTs. These organisations have also worked with the private sector and communities to improve the processing and marketing of traditional and new products from fruits, which is an important factor in motivating farmers to conserve - and even plant - IFTs, for income and food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has been involved in this issues at both international and regional level. Its involvement dates back to 2000, when it supported a conference in Namibia on the "Domestication and Commercialisation of IFTs in the SADC Region". In 2001, FAO SAFR organised a 2-week seminar on domestication of IFTs for 30 professionals from Southern and Eastern Africa (Annex VI). An FAO Technical Co-operation Project (TCP) on domestication in nOlthern Namibia also began in January 2002. It has been shown that IFTs can often playa role in alleviating extreme poverty, and provide the much-needed vitamins and proteins, as well as cash to poor segments of the population.

This paper reviews and assesses the physical situation of IFTs in the southern Africa region, concentrating on countlies with Miombo Woodland. It also describes the present use and trade of IFTs, and biological developments in domestication and dissemination. It covers processing and marketing and explores avenues for the future of IFTs for the smallholders and countries involved.

1. Southern Africa Vegetation

Natural forests and woodlands of the southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region (excluding the Democratic Republic of Congo and Seychelles) cover about 40% of the total land area of 682 million ha. The woody cover ranges from 0.6% of the total land area in South Africa to 72.7% in Mozambique (Annex 1). These forests and woodlands harbour valuable biodiversity, protect water catchment areas, and sequestrate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In addition, they provide a source of livelihood to 120 million rural people who directly and indirectly depend on the forests for sustenance through the provision of various timber and non-timber products and related services. About 75% of these natural forests and woodlands are communally owned and rural inhabitants have open access to them.

The natural woody vegetation types of the region range from moist forests to semi-arid savannah woodlands, arid shrubs, thorn steppe and coastal forests. Annex II shows the dominant natural vegetation by country.

Despite their importance to rural livelihoods in particular and the SADC national economies in general, indigenous fruit tree species are being lost to agricultural expansion and over exploitation through harvesting for construction, timber, fuel wood, and fruit.

2 Key D National Boondary _ Afromontane ,-/ Baikiaea woodland IIIIIi Bushland thicket _ Coaslal forest Desert Wooded and/or Edaphic grassland _ Flooded grassland Fynbos Hig,veld grassland K.elahari/Kwoo Namib transilion _ Kwoo/Hlghveld transition Lowland Forest N _ Morrbo wood and Monlane scrub forest/grassalnd transition Mopane Namib transilion Mopane modland A Namib/Karoo SWamps 200 0 200KM I " ' Undiffa-enlialad ooodiand

Fig. 1 Vegetation map of the Miombo within the southern African vegetation types (source: WWF SARPO Harare Zimbabwe)

-3- 2. Forest Inventories and Surveys

2.1 Inventory of useful plants

A SADC SECOSUD Project report (August 2000) presented the results of an inventory of 300 forest plants, listing useful plants of Southern Africa based on their economic and ecological importance as selected by eleven SADC member countries participating in the project. The 300 plants on the list included only those plants occuning in at least six or more countries. The inventory categorized some 142 as food plants of which 61 are IFTs bearing popular, edible fruit. Other categories were as follows:

Uses Number of species Fruit plants 142 Agroforestry 2 Aromatic/pesticides 11 Fibre species 8 Forage/fodder 42 Fuelwood 12 Horticultural 7 Medicinal 96 Oil 13 Timber/Construction 43 Total 376 (It should be noted that some plants find themselves in more than one "Uses" category, which is why the total is greater than 300)

Figure 2 on the next page provides a statistical representation of the various plant uses.

A summary of IFfs of Southern Africa, giving scientific names, family, category, use, parts used and country distribution is shown in Annex III.

Community involvement, management of resources, and governance Throughout the region of Southern Africa, community involvement in the management of natural resources is generally recognised as a very impOltant component of preserving biodiversity. Valuable indigenous trees are currently mismanaged not only in the Miombo, but also in semi-arid southern Africa. For example, recent studies in Namibia on the population status of the Marula recorded significant and serious human intelference in population levels. The status of the Marula population and gender around two neighbouring villages in northern Namibia was assessed in August 2001. All individuals 10 em diameter at breast height (dbh) in 40 fields, totalling 286 ha in area, were measured (dbh) and recorded as female, male or unknown gender. Over 400 trees were enumerated, and the largest had more than 100 em dbh. The area was well stocked, with around 1 tree per ha. There were more males than females at 15 - 20 em dbh but more females than males in the 40 - 80 em dbh gronp. This was attributed to selective elimination of individuals that failed to fruit. The study reported lower numbers of smaller individual plants. The deficiency of small individuals, numbers per ha, and gender imbalance implies that the resource is not sustainable under current management practices in Namibia.

Figure 2. Categories of use of 300 useful plants in Southern Africa

101

Category Uses 1 Fruit plants 2 Agroforestry 3 Aromatic/pesticidals 4 Fibre species 5 Forage/fodder 6 Fuelwood 7 Horticultural 8 Medicinal 9 Oil 10 Timber/Construction

5 Box 1:

Science, traditional knowledge and culture

Attitudes to science and knowledge influence both management and governance.

In Southern Africa, traditional institutions have always had close links with the environment, utilising resources for local sustenance and development. However, with the advent of colonialism and the introduction of centralised bureaucratic controls over natural resources, the rights to land and control of access to natural resources were removed. Such controls were introduced on the basis that traditional practices were destructive to the environment. These colonial policies led to conflicts among users, which sometimes resulted in over-exploitation of natural resources. This patronising and arrogant policy resulted in resource degradation in the form of accelerated soil erosion, deterioration of watersheds, siltation of rivers and reduced resilience and capacity of forests to regenerate.

In many places it seems that old assumptions about the environmentally destructive livelihood practices of poor rural people prevail and have been used to justify regulatory practice (Nhira et al,) which denies them a self-managerial role and treats them as subjects. Indeed, with few exceptions, law and practices that promote community management do not recognise these alternative values as a sound basis for management. It is here that NGOs, Donors and governments need to share responsibility. Organisationally,. this is often manifested in a legal hierarchy of organizations with communities at the bottom and the state and NGO technocrats at the top. For example, with the exception of Lesotho, community management plans are subject to approval by the state. Another example of this lack of confidence, and the unwillingness to transfer full authority to communities is South Africa's practice vis- a. -vis the restitution of formally protected areas to the communities, which encourages communities to lease land to which they have title back to the state. Source: Katerere and Matose, 2002

Fruit trees fulfil a vital role in rural communities because the fruit is consumed seasonally, thereby significantly contributing to human nutrition and food security in rural areas. These communities also sell wild fruits in markets, roadsides and urban areas, which directly contributes to the cash income of rural people. Initiatives to involve communities in the cultivation and production of these fruits on small-scale farms have begun. As the trees are adapted to these environments, the potential to contribute to family income and welfare is high.

A systematic approach to bring some of these high value trees into wider cultivation by small-scale farmers is a strategic goal of leading regional and national development organisations and institutions involved in the domestication of IFTs.

6 2.2 Surveys in the Miombo Woodland

Ethnobotanical surveys (Campbell, 1987; Karachi and Minae 1991; Maghembe and Seyani 1991; Kwesiga and Chisumpa 1992, Minae et al., 1995) indicate that over 60 IFfs are eaten and sold in the countries of Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These surveys explored IFf use and identified problems expelienced by farmers in domestication. After the surveys, several participatory approaches, including workshops and further surveys were undertaken to understand user and stakeholder preferences, constraints and technological opportunities.

In order of priority, farmers based their preferences for particular IFfs on: 1. Food secUlity 2. Taste offruit 3. Marketability of fresh fruits 4. Ability to preserve fruit for storage and later use 5. Suitability of fruits for processing into valious marketable products 6. A vailability/occurrence in the area

Based on their findings, workshop participants drew up strategies to enable farmers to domesticate and market the species prefelTed, as listed in Annex IV. It is interesting to compare the results of farmers' priolities with the one resulting from the Matopos Seminar, in Table 1. Seven species are common but others vary greatly. Other findings were that detailed information is severely lacking concerning total population per individual species, biology, propagation and field management, market potentials and farmers' preferences for the different IFTs. These constraints are severely hampeling commercialisation and wider exploitation and cultivation. InfOlmation on the availability and occurrence of IFfs in the areas where ethnobotanical surveys and national inventory exercises have been camed out is very subjective, with many farmers merely indicating that the number of trees had been diminishing near villages. Reports highlight that women and children have to travel long distances (more than 5 km) to collect fruit. Most reports also indicate that the IFf populations are getting smaller and smaller with time due to the encroachment of arable farming, and villages and towns. No popUlation censuses have been recorded for individual species. The only documented record was in Botswana by Taylor and Moss (1983) which roughly quantified per hectare a wide range of indigenous plants with economic potential, including a number of IFfs. Vegetation mapping is available in all the countries involved and covers dominant species as well as woodlands in general (see Annex II). Natural regeneration of IFTs is low with a large difference in relative occurrence and numbers per unit area showing more mature trees than seedlings and saplings (Nghitolwa, et al., 2002). Generally the methods used to establish the inventolies employed systematic sampling rather than stratified sampling and often excluded non-timber forest products.

Different species are selected as pliOlities for development from different communities and countlies according to availability and range of uses. The species most prefen'ed by farmers

7 take the lead in terms of scientific research and commercialisation efforts, with other species receiving less attention. Table 1. shows priority species established for Southern Africa.

Table 1. 1FT priorities in Southern Africa as identified by Matopos participants 2001

Countries Priority -e Q,) (number of Tree Species ~ Q,) ~ 0 countries .~ .S =~ ~ .J:J ..= .J:J := .~ ~ ~ ... C':I :E .J:J sharing priority) .l!l 0 .~ ~ S ~ a ci5 ~ ~ z ~ ~ N N

Azanza garckeana x 1

Baqllertiodelldroll megalislIlontalliulIl x 1

Berehemia discolor x x 2

Halleria Lucida x 1

Mil1U1sops zeyheri x 1

Parillari euratellifolia x 1

Parillari kirkiana x 1

Ricinodendron rautallenii x 1

Scleroemya birrea x x x x x 5

Scolopia lIlundii x 1

StlycllllOS Spinosa x x 2

Stlycl1l1oS eoeeuloides x x x 3

SYZJ'gium cordatum x 1

Syzygium quineenze x 1

Uapaca kirkiana x x x 3

Vangueria in/austa x x 2

Vitex l1lolllbassae x 1

Xeminia caffra x 1

The information generated is thereafter shared with others in the region, and in this way, different species are developed at the same time to utilise these limited resources effectively. For example, the top three IFTs prefened by farmers in the World Forestry Centre (ICRAF) Project for domestication and improvement in the Miombo woodlands are:

8 • Uapaca kirkiana (Wild loquat): The fleshy pulp is usually eaten fresh but it can be processed into juices, wines, squashes and cakes. It is sometimes used to sweeten maize meal ponidge. • Parinari cllratellifolia (Mobola plum): The pulp is eaten raw or processed into juices, jams, jellies and wines. Kernels are eaten raw, roasted or pounded and eaten as relish (a gravy or sauce served with maize meal ponidge). • Strychnos coccllloides (Wild orange): The ripe fruit keeps very well. Its hard shell makes it suitable for transporting long distances over bumpy roads. Pulp is usually eaten raw but can be processed into jams, juices and wines.

The three IFf species above occur in at least eight other SADe member countries and are regarded as important food and medicinal plants. Information generated from the domestication efforts in the different countries on a spearhead domestication system of IFf species can be applied in other non-Miombo woodland countries. Range wide and targeted collections using standardised collection methods of Uapaca kirkiana, Sclerocarya birrea, and Strychnos cocculoides have been made, and germplasm exchange has been undertaken between Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

2.3 Other inventories that may bring more information on IFTs

Table 2. Measurement of some biometric variables in a classical forest management inventory in Goba Mozambique

Data: Goba forest in Maputo Province of Mozambique, woodfuel inventory

1. Distribution of Fruit tree volume, extract from inventory, per dbh class in vegetation type: Savanna woodland

Vol for dbh >10cm Vol for dbh >15cm Vol for dbh >20cm Species m3/ha m3/ha m3/ha

SclerocaJya birrea 2.49 2.34 2.08

Parinari curatell(folia 0.02 0 0

2. Study on regeneration, extract of inventory on fruit trees in same vegetation type: Savanna woodland

Species Number of plants per ha

SclerocaJya birrea 14

Vangueria infausta 7

9 The majority of the Miombo countIies have some kind of National Forest Inventory and many-intensive inventories of smaller areas for the purpose of investment in or management of the resource.

These inventories usually record the number of commercial species by diameter at breast height (dbh) and stem's height, thus producing stock and volume tables, and sometimes regeneration data. The information in Table 2 was derived from a wood fuel inventory done in Mozambique. Some fruit species have been isolated and we find that the majority of Sclerocarya are in the dbh class of 20 cm and more, while Parinari is in the dbh class of 10 cm and less. It is also clear that there are many Sclerocarya but very few Parinari. Regeneration figures show Sclerocarya and Vangueria but no Parinari.

It could therefore be inferred that some of the species studied are multipurpose and produce palatable fruits. This is exemplified by extracts of the forest inventory of Zimbabwe detailed in Annex V. In this way, it is possible to have a good idea of the stocking of mature trees and sometimes of their regeneration. If one uses an average fruit productivity level per tree, it would then be possible to estimate a potential fruit production for natural forests, as shown in Table 3.

This would exclude data on homestead trees, unless they had been inventOlied as Trees Outside Forests.

lO Table 3. Estimate of productivity in selected fruit tree species Fuller Forest, Zimbabwe ( Forestry Commission) r"';';ree S~'ci:- . -- - J DBH classes in 10 cm intervals 5-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+

Ricinodendron(Schinziopyton) rautanenii Number of trees I 4 11 8 8 3 3 11 Fruit Productivity kg/tree-year 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total fruit production per year in kg 4 20 55 48 56 24 27 110

Strychnos coculoides Number of trees I Fruit Productivity kg/tree-year 25 Total fruit production per year in kg 25

11 3. IFTs in Semi-arid areas of Southern Africa

As we have already seen in previous tables, there are other promising IFTs, apart from those selected above (i.e. Uapaca kirkiana, Strychnos cocculoides and Parinari curatellifolia). These additional species from semi-arid areas have been included in the domestication lists of Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa. They are Adansonia digitata, Sclerocarya birrea, Schinziophyton (ex-Ricinodendron) rautanenii, Vitex mombassae, Anisophyllea boehmii, Azanza garckeana, Vangueria infausta, Strychnos spinosa. When requested to so, farmers in isolated areas chose these species because of their comparative advantages in terms of abundance, value of products or adaptability to local environment.

Box 2:

Production of oil from some IFTs Production of oil from the Baobab (Adansonia digitata) and other tree species takes place in the Zimbabwean districts of Chipinge and Chimanimani, Nyanga, Chiredzi, and Rushinga. SAFlRE (Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources), a local NGO, co-ordinates the production and marketing of the product Production includes collection by the identified interested groups (project group). Collection is enhanced through the inclusion of primary producers (people outside the project group). This is also meant to reduce conflicts between the project group and outsiders. Production of oils is done by the group or by the local entrepreneur. Satire links the group to the market, which is sometimes an export market. It is interesting to note that Baobab fruit pulp, which has an energy value of 500kj1I00g, is dch in Vitamin C (300 mg per lOOg), calcium (350 mg per lOOg) and magnesium (150 mgIIOOg). It also contains iron, phosphorous, zinc, and Vitamins BI, B2 and B3. The Baobab fruit is an important source of these essential nutrients, especially during drought. According to SAFlRE, key problems in production that need to be addressed are: • Sustainability of resources supplies in the light of other competing land use. • Production quantities are small and sometimes erratic. For example, oil can be extracted from only about thitty per cent of Marula kennels, making recovery rates very low. • Quality control poses a problem where product and processes used are from a wide range of production units in different geographic areas. • Lack of appropriate technology for processing. For example, the traditional method of cracking marula kennels with stones is still used, whilst oil extraction equipment used for sunflower and ground nut seed cannot process the harder baobab nuts. • Training is given on the job. Source: SAFIRE

Sclerocarya birrea is not in the top three in the Miombo woodlands but is a very important IFf in the semi-arid areas of Southem Af11ca where arable agriculture is very unre1iable. Despite its wide distribution in the southern Africa region in general, the fruit seems to be

12 less palatable fU11her North towards the Equator. This may explain why it is less popular among the Miombo woodland inhabitants there. The very sweet and tasty fruit is enjoyed and most preferred by millions of rural habitants in semi-arid Southern Africa. In South Africa and Botswana a considerable amount of work has been done which has provided information on selection, evaluation and vegetative propagation, including tissue culture. Significant developments in processing and commercialising products have also occurred in Namibia and Botswana. Products marketed include edible nuts, jams, jellies, candies (sweets), soap, salad/cooking oil and high value cosmetic products de1ived from oils.

4. Research efforts on IFTs

Propagation

Studies on propagation within the Miombo areas have shown that many IFTs are easy to propagate both vegetatively and by seed. (Prins and Maghembe, 1994, Mateke, 2000). Evaluation of over 25 species under field conditions shows that many of these species are capable of bearing fruit within 1 to 8 years after planting (Maghembe et at., 1994; Mateke, 2002). According to farmers, the main hindrances to domestication and cultivation of the prioritised species in the Miombo ecozones are their long pre-beating period and the lack of knowledge on how to propagate them. In addition, for some dioceous species, sex differentiation is difficult at early stages of plant development. Regional and national research programmes have been conducted on ways to overcome these problems. PriOlity is being given to studies on seedling production, vegetative propagation (budding and grafting), and farmer's adoption of these species and their management. Grafting has been found to overcome problems of long pre-beari ng periods (Akinni fesi et al., 2002, Veld Products Research & Development [VPR&D]).

Developmental organisations envisage that improved cultivars of IFTs with acceptable fruit bearing precocity and desirable fruit traits will create the necessary incentives for their cultivation. Activities in market research, economics of production, fruit product development and falmer empowerment in fruit processing are being carried out by GTZ in Malawi, SAFIRE and ICRAF in Zimbabwe, A-SNAPP in South Aftica, CRIAA-SADC in Namibia and by VPR&D in Botswana. Together, they are providing essential components of the overall strategy for the development of IFTs in Southern Aftica.

Nutrition

There is an increasing awareness of the impOt1ance of IFTs from the Miombo woodlands for their contribution to household nuttition and household income in Southern Africa. Many of the species evaluated have been shown to be very good sources for daily requirements of minerals and Vitamin C. This is a significant advantage as cultivation of exotic fruit trees and their fruits require more inputs and can be very expensive for most rural people.

Market

A holistic approach to domestication and commercialisation of IFTs as tools for small business development is being tested in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and

13 Zimbabwe. After selection of popular IFTs, product development and consumer test marketing are undertaken. Products such as jams, dJied fruit rolls and fruit nectar were found to be of high market value, though the actual marketing in volume has proven to be difficult for most small producers. Figure 3 shows examples of such products.

Sustainable harvesting

A search for information and documented experiences concerning community-driven resource assessments from the southern Africa region and elsewhere yielded little practical data for the fOlIDulation of sustainable forest management plans, a clUcial component of sustainable harvesting of non-timber products at community level. Most conventional management methods tend to ignore the communities' resource priOlities, cater to a limited resource base, and exclude important socio-economic and resource tenure issues. In the few assessments done of the 1FT resource base within Miombo woodlands, the tree populations were simply recorded as "abundant", "less abundant" or "absent". No specific quantities were mentioned in relation to area covered. This is a critical gap in the information required to detelIDine management procedures that would allow sustainable harvesting of 1FT products. Therefore, it is timely that research and development institutions emphasise this aspect in their future funding programs.

5. Production potentials of selected IFTs in their natural habitats

Very few pUblications are available on production potentials of IFTs in their natural habitat or under cultivation. Some studies on production levels of selected species have been done in Botswana. The most productive in terms of quantity (numbers and mass of fruit per tree) is Sclerocarya birrea, while Adansonia digitata is the least productive and lightest in mass (Annex IV). Vangueria infausta is the poorest for handling because of its papery, thin skin . Strychnos cocculoides has a shelf life of four to six weeks without refrigeration. Its hard shell makes this fruit the best for long shelf life and road transportation. A list of most popular IFfs and potential products being test marketed is shown in Annex V.

14 Masawu (Zisiphus mauritiana) fruit producing popular jam. (Source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe)

-15- Baobab Tree (adansonia digitata) in South Eastern Zimbabwe (source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe)

Processing machine to produce baobab tartar powede.Source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe

Ladies processing baobab fruits (source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe) Ladies preparing cosmetic paste from Fruits of the Sausage tree (Kigelia Africana) Sausage fruits (Source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe) (Source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe)

Ladies busy cutting Sausage fruit into pieces (Source: SAFIRE Zimbabwe) Conclusion: The Future of Indigenous Fruit Trees

We have seen in the preceding chapters that Southern Africa is endowed with a wealth of multipurpose trees, particularly in the Miombo woodland ecological region. Many of these tree species produce abundant fruits, which are used by the local communities to a greater or lesser degree.

Smallholders have made increasing efforts, sometimes assisted by Government and NGOs, to develop and standardize the fruits and their products and increase sales in existing and new markets.

The main physical problem facing this sub-sectoral forestry activity is the lack of objective knowledge in the quantity and quality of the fruit resource. The first problem can be solved by adding cliteria to planned classical forest inventories and surveys in order to capture vital infotmation on IFTs, such as the size of the canopy or density of flowering and fruiting, and number of productive branches. This could lead to con-elations between standard tree measurements and fruit productivity for the most important IFT species being established. More specifically, simple participatory fruit tree surveys could also be prepared and developed to estimate more accurately the availability of the resource for the benefit of nearby communities.

Correct marketing of IFT products is fundamental to the development of IFTs as an income generating resource. Experience shows that there is a danger that producers all bIing the same products to the market, thus creating a strong supply with very low revenue per unit. Commerce also needs to be organized in such a way that it benefits smal1holders. There is much need to formalize marketing studies to encourage the sharing of market intelligence among groups. In this way, producers would be motivated to find specific product niches which would give them comparative advantage. For example, distant and isolated areas might produce dried fruit concentrates to export in bulk to beverage producers while others closer to markets might produce the juice of the same fruit tree species.

Fmthetmore, there is a crying need for well-targeted financial and capacity building assistance to smallholders to stimulate the creation of cottage industries at individual and cooperative levels. This will enable communities to improve their production, harvesting, transport, and processing capacities.

Except in South Africa, IFT domestication is still in its infancy in Southern Africa. At present, the natural trees are sufficient to provide the fruits necessary for development of an industry in most countries in the region. All indicators, however, point to the fact that the Miombo resource will continue to dwindle in the coming decades. In order to keep markets, therefore, it will be an essential palt of the new supply equation to develop IFT orchards, which will gradually take the place of "wild tree" fruit harvesting. This will be necessary to guarantee a steady supply of fruit products to consumers, traders and processing industlies. The research work discussed earlier has already begun. Larger ventures in all countIies in the region are now required.

In some instances this could lead to an outgrower scheme approach where a company provides the inputs and incentives to fanners to grow IFTs on their land with a guaranteed

16 minimum price per unit of production. This approach has proven successful worldwide for other commodities such as coffee.

The future of IFTs certainly looks promising for smallholders of the Miombo if they are encouraged to consider IFTs as a serious venture which would complement their farming revenues, and if the private sector gets involved on a sustainable basis.

17 Bibliography

Akinnifesi, F.K., Kwesiga, R,F. and Simons J.A. 2002, A decade of Domestication and commercialisation of the Miombo Indigenous Fruit Trees in Southem Africa, Regional Agroforestry Conference "Agroforestry Impacts on Livelihoods in Southem Africa: Putting research into practice", May 2002, Wamlbaths, South Africa,

FAG, 2002, Physical Situation of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Southern Africa Region, Harare

Karachi, M., Ruffo, C.K" Lema, NM, and Minae, S, 1991, Use of Multipurpose Trees in Western Tanzania: Results of an ethnobotanical sunJey of multipurpose trees in Tabora region, AFRENA Report No, 40,

Katerere, 1,M, and Matose, F. 2002, Unpublished. Governance and Administration in the Forestry Sector in Southern Africa,

Kwesiga, F. and Chisumpa, S, 1992, Ethnobotanical survey in eastern Zambia, No, 49, Nairobi, Kenya,

Laverdiere M" 2001, Proceedings of the Regional Training Seminar, The Propagation and Dissemination of Indigenous Fruit Trees in East and SOLtthern Africa, May 2001, Harare, Zimbabwe

Maghembe 1,A. and Seyani, 1. 1991, Multi-purpose trees used by small-scale farmers in Malawi: Results of an ethnobotanical survey, No, 42, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya,

Maghembe, 1,A" Ntupanyama, Y. and Chirwa, p, W (eds) Improvements of Indigenous Fruit Trees of the Miombo woodlands of Southern Africa, ICRAF, Nairobi, 138 pp,

Mateke, S,M, 2002, Results of eight years studies on propagation, growth and production levels of four indigenous fruit trees in the wild and under cultivation in Botswana, Regional Agroforestry Conference "Agroforestry Impacts on Livelihoods in Southem Africa: Putting research into practice", May 2002, Wamlbaths, South Africa,

Mateke, S,M, 2002, Unpublished. Physical Situation about Indigenous Fruit Trees in Southern Africa Region. An FAG Desk Study Report, 25 pp,

18 Annex I

Areas covered by forests in twelve SADC member states

Country Total area Area of national % (OOOha) forests/woodlands woody cover (OOOha)2

Angola 124,670 53,600 43.0

Botswana 56,673 32,560 57.5

Lesotho 3,036 600 19.8

Malawi 9,408 3,622 38.5

Mauritius 186 3 l.6

Mozambique 78,409 57,000 72.7

Namibia 82,329 18,400 22.3

South Africa 1 122,300 687 0.6

Swaziland 1,720 624 36.3

Tanzania 88,604 42,040 47.4

Zambia 75,250 46,394 6l.7

Zimbabwe · 39,058 19,820 50.7

Total 681,643 275,350 40.4

Source: World Resources, WRI, UNEP, UNDP, WB (1990; 1996-97)

I Dr D W van der Zel, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa (1996)

2 SADC Forestry Resources (1996) Annex II

Some key woodland types and their relative dominance in twelve SADe member states.

8 Q,) 0 Q,) rn ,.Q ~ .a ,.Q ~ .... Q,) ~ (.J .;3= 8 =Q., g3 := 0 ,.Q ~ ~ "'" 0 ..= 8 = IJJ"'" ~ ~ -< 0 ~ U Country Angola x xx xx Botswana xx xx xxx x xxx Lesotho xxx Malawi xx xx x xx Mauritius* Mozambique xx x x x xx Namibia* xxx xx xxx xx xx South Africa* xx xxx x xxx xxx Swaziland x xxx Tanzania* xx xxx xx Zambia xxx x xxx x x x Zimbabwe xxx xx xxx xx x x xx

Key: x = Present xx = Not widely spread xxx = Dominant woodland

* = Coastal forests present Source: Hoekstra et al (1996) Annex III List of selected useful food indigenous fruit trees of southern Africa occurring in six or more countries.

Country distribution

Q.I ~ Scientific name Family Category Use Parts used 0"= "~ "'0 ~ ~ ~ ;Q ~ .:: ::: :: 0 ~ ..Q ~ -

1 Adansonia digitata Bombacaceae Food Fruit Pulp x x x x x x x X x x , , - Adansonia digitata Bombacaceae Food Vegetable Leaves x x x x x x x x x x 2 Ampelocissus africana Vitaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x 3 Annona senegalensis Annonaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x x 4 Annona stenophylla Annonaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 5 Antidesma venosum Euphorbiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x x 6 Azanza garckeana Malveceae Food Fruit Capsule x x x x x x x x x

- Azanza garckeana Malveceae Wood Firewood Stem x x x x x x x x x 7 Balanites aegyptiaca Balanitaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 8 Berchemia discolor Rhamnaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x

9 Borassus aethiopum Arecaceae Fibre Fibre Leaves x x x x x x x

- Borassus aethiopum Arecaceae Food Fruit Pulp x x x x x x x

10 Carissa bispinosa Apocynaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 11 Carissa edulis Apocynaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 12 Cassine aethiopica Celastraceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x Country distribution

Qi ~ ::s CJ Scientific name Family Category Use Parts used 0" .... "0 Qi ~ .:: ~ ~ c :c ~ c Q ·S ~ .Q ~ ~ .~ -< oS ..::: S :c ~ ~ ~ ..... ~ ..::: ·N :c .Q "0 Q ~ ..... N OJ) N ·s ~ !l til -; Q ::s c S S c Q Qi ~ Q ~ ~ ~ ~ ..:l ~ ~ Z tI.l tI.l E-< N Ni -< I 13 Cissus comifolia Vitaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x • 14 Cordyla africana Fabaceae Food Fruit Pulp x x x x x 15 Diospiros batocana Ebenaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x 16 Diospiros kirkii Ebenaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 17 Diospiros mespiliformis Ebenaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 18 Englerphytum magalismontanum Sapotaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 19 Ficus sansibarica Moraceae Food Fruit Fig x x x x x x x 20 Ficus sur Moraceae Food Fruit Fig x x x x x x x x 21 Ficus sycomorus Moraceae Food Fruit Fig x x x x x x x x x x 22 Ficus thonningii Moraceae Food Fruit Fig x x x x x x x x x 23 Flourcotia indica Flacourtiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x x 24 Friesodielsia obovata Annonaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x Friesodielsia obovata Annonaceae Medicine Medicine Roots x x x x x x x x 25 Garcinia livingstonei Clusiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x 26 Grewia bicolor Tiliaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x x 27 Grewia flavescens Tiliaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 28 Grewia monticola Tiliaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x Grewia monticola Tiliaceae Timber Timber Stem x x ,x x x x x x ------

2 Country distribution

::~ CIS Scientific name Family Category Use Parts used 0" "C ~ CIS ;E'" CIS CIS ::: ~ ::: 0 :E CIS ,Q CIS CIS o- -< .! °2 CIS ~ S :E ,Q ON CIS '0 ~ is CIS CIS Os N :E ,Q ell ,'!l 0 N .... CIS til '; 0 :: ::: S S ::: 0 ~ CIS 0 ~ CIS CIS -< ~ ...:l ::E ::E Z IZl IZl Eo< N N

29 Hexalobus monopetalus Annonaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x X x x x

30 Hoslundia opposita Lamiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x X I 31 Hyphaene petersiana Arecaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x - Hyphaene petersiana Arecaceae Fibre Fibre Leaves x x x x x x x x x 32 Lannea discolor Anacardiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x Lannea discolor Anacardiaceae Horticultural Live hedge Whole plant x x x x x x x x x 33 Lannea edulis Anacardiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x Lannea edulis Anacardiaceae Medicinal Diarrhoea Rootstock x x x x x x x x 34 Lannea schweinfurthii Anacardiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x 35 Manilkara discolor Sapotaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 36 Manilkana mochisia Sapotaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x x 37 Mimusops zeyheri Sapotaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x

38 Parinari capensis Chrysobalanaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x 39 Parinari curatellifolia Chrysobalanaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x 40 Rhus longipes Anacardiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 41 Rhus pyroides Anacardiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 42 Schinziophyton rautanenii Euphorbiaceae Food Fruit Nut x x x x x x x x - Schinziophyton rautanenii Euphorbiaceae Construction Timber Stem x x x x x x x x

3 Country distribution

43 Sclerocarya birrea Anacardiaceae Food Beverage Mesocarp X x x x x x x x x X I - Sclerocarya birrea Anacardiaceae Medicinal Diarrhoea BarkIRoots X x x x x x x x x x - Sclerocarya birrea Anacardiaceae Oil Oil plant Nut X x x x x x x x x x 44 Strychnos cocculoides Loganiaceae Food Fruit Pulp X x x x x x x 45 Strychnos innocua Loganiaceae Food Fruit Pulp X x x x x x x x - Strychnos innocua Loganiaceae Medicine Tonic plants Roots X x x x x x x x 46 Strychnos madagascariensis Loganiaceae Food Fruit Pulp X x x x x x x x x 47 Strychnos spinosa Loganiaceae Food Fruit Pulp X x x x x x x x - Strychnos spinosa Loganiaceae Medicine Medicine BarkIRoots X x x x x x x x 48 Syzygium cordatum Myrtaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp X x x x x x x x x x 49 Syzygium guineense Myrtaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp X x x x x x x x x x 50 Tamarindus indica Fabaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp X x x x x x x - Tamarindus indica Fabaceae Medicine Medicine BarkIRoots X x x x x x x 51 Trichilia emetica Meliaceae Oil Oil plant Seed X x x x x x x x x x

- Trichilia emetica Meliaceae Food Fruit Arils X x x x x x x x x X 51 Trichilia emetica Meliaceae Medicinal Dysentery Bark x x x x x x x x x x

- Trichilia emetica Meliaceae Construction Timber Stern x x x x x x x x x x

4 Country distribution

Q) <:IS (oJ Scientific name Family Category Use Parts used C' "0 Q) <:IS = ;E <:IS 5'; <:IS ::: ::: 0 :E <:IS ,.Q <:IS <:IS "~ "2 .::: S :E -< .! <:IS <:IS "0 5'; <:IS <:IS .::: "N !oil :E ,.Q e!) 0 !oil <:IS .l!S -til -; 0 "s C S S ::: 0 Q) <:IS -=0 5'; <:IS ea -< ~ ...:l :;E :;E Z rr.J rr.J Eo-< N N 52 Uapaca kirkiana Euphorbiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 53 Uapaca nitida Euphorbiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 54 Uvariastum hexaloboides Annonaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 55 Vangueria infausta Rubiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x - Vangueria infausta Rubiaceae Medicinal Toothache Roots x x x x x x x x x

- Vangueria infausta Rubiaceae Fuelwood Firewood Stem x x x x x x x x X i I 56 Vangueria lanciflora Rubiaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 57 Vitex doniana Verbenaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x - Vitex doniana Verbenaceae Construction Timber Stem x x x x x x 58 Vitexpayos Verbenaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x 59 Ximenia americana Olacaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x - Ximenia Americana Olacaceae Medicine Medicinal Roots x x x x x x x 60 Ximenia caffra Olacaceae Food Fruit Mesocarp x x x x x x x 61 Ziziphus mucro nata Rharnnaceae Food Beverage Mesocarp x x x x x x x x x - Ziziphus mucronata Rharnnaceae Fodder Forage Leaves x x x x x x x x x

- 0ziehus mucronata Rhamnaceae Medicine Diarrhoea ~klRoo_t x x x x x x x x x "-----~ -~ -

Source: SADC SECOSUD, 2000.

5 Annex IV

Notes of interest on the fruit production of 10 most preferred IFTs in southern Africa.

Fruit Fruits per No. of production per Scientific name Common name Superior Fruits mature Tree tree/year (kg)

Adansonia digitata Baobab 50 - 100 75 14-20

Azanza garckeana Chewing gum 700 - 2000 1300 50 - 70

Flourcotia indica Governor's plum 100 - 1000 - 1.2 - 20 Hyphaene petersiana Real fan palm 50 - 300 - - Parinari curatellifolia Mobola plum 200 -2000 - - Schinziophyton rautanenii Manketti nut 500 -1000 600 6-10 Sclerocarya birrea Marula 35,000 10,000 500 -700 Strychnos cocculoides Wild orange 50 - 800 500 25 - 100

Uapaca kirkiana Wild loquat 200 -2000 - 2-10 Vangueria infausta Wild meddler 400- 800 650 5-8 Annex V

Common products made from IFTs in the southern African region

Type of product on test market

...... Species Name Common Name =' '3 ~ .... cf:: "'l:S ~ '"~ ~ (oJ ~ -= ...... 8 ..... '"~ .. ~ ~ .. Q -0 ~ ~=' r.r; ~

Adansonia digitata Baobab x

Azanza garckeana Chewing gum x Flourcotia indica Governor's plum x x

Parinari curatellifolia Mobolaplum x x x

Schinziophyton Manketti nut x rautanenii

Sclerocarya birrea Marula x x x x x

Strychnos cocculoides Wild orange x

Uapaca kirkiana Wild loquat x x

Vangueria infausta Wild meddler x x x x Annex VI

FAO Training on IFTs at Matopos 2001

Some thirty SADC region key nationals participated in a two-week training seminar held in May 2001 at the Matopos Research Centre, Zimbabwe. The subject of the training was, "Propagation and Dissemination of Indigenous Fruit Trees. The seminar was organised by FAO, with active participation by the Zimbabwe Forestry Commission and support from the SADC Forest Sector Technical Forestry Unit (Malawi). Veld Products Research & Development and ICRAF provided training support. Israel provided two key trainers through MASHAV, and the Centre for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Seminar provided an excellent opportunity for regional nationals to share their experiences and present a brief status quo on IFf domestication efforts in their respective countries. The training made an important contribution by presenting different approaches to domestication processes with practical references made to accounts of successful and unsuccessful endeavours around the world. The propagation methods and improvement of IFfs without genetic modification them was a well received message. Most participants welcomed exposure to the new knowledge and new contacts occasioned by the seminar. Hands-on experience will be key to meaningful IFf domestication from now on. It was generally agreed that future training should incorporate more practical sessions to provide palticipants with hands-on experience, whilst attachments to institutions within and outside of the region would also be of benefit. Participants encouraged each other to go back to their countries and review and formulate national strategies on IFf, maintain and develop collaboration with colleagues, and identify important stakeholders.

It was recommended that FAO continue funding relevant training, facilitate exchange of information and assist in funding national project activities. It was suggested that FAO organize a training seminar on the processing of IFfs in another country of the region, as a follow-up to the Matopos seminar. It was proposed that international institutions such as MASHA V and ICRAF continue to provide support in both training and research activities in the region. Annex VII