Setting Priorities among Indigenous Fruit Tree Species in Africa: Examples from Southern, Eastern and Western Africa Regions - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 4

1.2.2 Defining client groups

A review of secondary information was used to define user groups, and identify
their main problems and the agroforestry products that may best meet their
needs. User groups were defined by agroecological zone, e.g. the humid
lowlands of West Africa extend from Senegal to Congo, including parts of 11
countries with altitudes below 1000 mm, rainfall above 1500 mm, and growing
periods over 220 days. User groups were also defined by socio-economic
variables. For example, in the Sahel, three distinct user groups within the
Sahelian agroecological zone were identified: women, young men, and older
men. Survey data were disaggregated by these three categories.

1.2.3 Assessment of species preferred by clients

Since no data on user preferences were available, semi-structured field surveys
were conducted in which randomly selected farmers listed the trees they valued
most and explained why. Stratified random sampling methods were used, with
criteria for stratification varying by region. In the humid lowlands of West Africa,
eight land-use systems were defined using criteria such as population density,
crops grown, and access to forests and markets. Sample villages were then
selected using area sampling methods. In Malawi, in southern Africa, researchers
selected one district from each of the country's eight silvicultural zones. The
districts were selected based on the knowledge that indigenous fruits were
abundant there. Extension agents then helped to select a village in each district,
using the same criteria. Local leaders or extension staff prepared lists of all
households in the villages and 15 names were randomly selected for interview
(Malembo et al ., 1998). Sample size varied considerably between regions, from
94 to 470, depending primarily on resource availability (Table 1.1).
In all three regions, representatives from each country developed
standardized survey protocols for interviewing farmers about their preferred
indigenous fruit species and the traits they wished researchers to improve.
Farmers were first asked to list the indigenous species in their area. Next they

Table 1.1. Sample sizes in surveys to assess farmer preferences among tree species.

Proportion

Number of of female

farmers farmers Countries where farmers

Region interviewed interviewed (%) were interviewed

Humid lowlands of 94 25 Nigeria, Cameroon,

West Africa Ghana

Sahelian zone of 470 39 Senegal, Mali, Niger,

West Africa Burkina Faso

Miombo woodlands of 451 24 Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Malawi and Tanzania a southern Africa

a Mozambique was included in a separate survey.