Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in food and are chronically malnourished (Kavishe, 1993; Kwesiga et al ., 2000).
Fruits and products made from indigenous fruits therefore constitute one of the
cheapest yet richest sources of food, on which the poor (especially women and
children) depend. Fruits and products from indigenous trees are particularly
important during the hunger periods of the year (Kwesiga et al ., 2000). Thus,
indigenous fruits help women in most rural households to secure food for their
families, either directly or indirectly when they are sold. They generate much-
needed income, which will be used for various household uses, including buying
food. This chapter concerns the results of more than a decade of collaborative
work between the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and its regional partners
on local knowledge systems, nutritional value, product development and the
processing of indigenous fruits from the miombo ecosystem of southern Africa.
16.2 Utilization of Fruits
Several studies have shown that rural people in developing countries have
intimate knowledge of their natural environment and environmental processes.
For example, Van Vlaenderen and Nkwinti (1993) reported that communities
possess well-established systems and carefully developed techniques that over
many years have allowed them to survive in harsh conditions. Van Vlaenderen
(1999) has further shown that building on local knowledge and resources
reduces overdependence on development interventions and promotes rapid
rural economic development. Appreciation and promotion of local knowledge
empowers rural people by increasing their self-reliance, confidence and capacity
to utilize and manage their local resources. Gathering local knowledge from
indigenous communities provides relevant information concerning opportunities
for utilization and the taste, size and availability of indigenous fruits (Simons,
1996; Maghembe et al ., 1998). In Burkina Faso, for example, local knowledge
systems indicate that indigenous fruits are used in the preparation of meals as
fats, spices and soups (Ladipo et al ., 1996). Experience has also shown that
effective utilization of indigenous knowledge and local community preferences
are a key to the domestication of trees and the commercialization of their
products (Kwesiga et al ., 2000).
In southern Africa, seed kernels or nuts of several fruit species are edible
(Wehmeyer, 1966; Saka, 1994; Ndabikunze et al ., 2000) and are an important
part of the diet of rural people. For example, Adansonia digitata , Telfaria pedata ,
Terminalia catappa , Treculia africana , Parkia filicoidea and Parinari curatellifolia
have edible nuts which are eaten raw or after processing. These nuts are
important sources of vegetable oil and are rich in protein and therefore can
substitute for groundnut flour/oil in rural cooking. On the other hand, the
consumption of indigenous fruits in peri-urban and urban areas of southern
Africa is limited. This is evidenced by the high net imports of fruits and their
products by several countries (Table 16.1). For example, Malawi imported more
fruit products from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Europe than it exported. The
major fresh fruits imported into Malawi were apples, oranges, grapes and
pears/quinces. The fruit products, such as jams, juices and preserves, are largely
Search WWH ::




Custom Search