Fruitful approaches to bolstering nutritional security in Africa

In the sub-Saharan region, where nearly one-third of the population is undernourished, growing both indigenous and exotic fruit for local markets has great potential to improve the diets of smallholder farmers and increase incomes, according to a new review by the World Agroforestry Centre.

The study – recently published in the journal The International Forestry Review – argues that the cultivation of indigenous fruit tree species in the region could make a much more significant contribution to the nutrition and livelihoods of local people if certain bottlenecks were removed.

“In East Africa, the average daily intake of fruit is 35 grams per person, way below the World Health Organization’s recommendation,” said Dr Jamnadass, head of the Centre’s Research Program on Quality Trees. “Agroforestry with trees that produce good quality fruit shows great promise for improving people’s physical and financial health”.

The study’s findings are timely, with attention around the world focusing on World Food Day, on 16 October.

Priority species identified

Jamnadass and her colleagues, working with partners across Africa, have developed a list of priority indigenous fruit trees for domestication in over a dozen countries in the region. Among those identified as suitable for promotion are the baobab, whose vitamin C-rich fruit is used as a drink and in soup; marula, which is used to produce jam, juice, beer and liqueur; and the highly nutritious safou with an oily texture similar to an avocado.

“In order for such species to reap wider benefits for smallholder farmers, certain obstacles to use need to be addressed”, explains Dr Jamnadass.

Poor access to superior quality cultivars that are bred for African environments is one of the main constraints facing smallholders in the region. Poor farm management and post-harvest practices, as well as weak marketing systems, also limit the widespread uptake of quality fruit trees.

“The first thing we need to do is prioritize the best species to promote for cultivation in each country based on factors as production potential, farmer interest and market demand,,” said Dr Jamnadass. Having selected and tested the trees that provided the best yields and best quality fruit, the next step is to engage local people in cultivating them.

Like their indigenous counterparts, exotic fruits also offer great potential for improving nutritional security and incomes. “The problem here is that exotic fruit cultivars grown in Africa over many years (often introduced to the continent during the colonial period or earlier) are not as good as new cultivars of the same species now being grown outside the region. So in order to increase the cultivation of quality trees in Africa, we need to introduce these new types, which are frequently found in developed countries as well as in many parts of Asia. And then, we need to develop efficient ways to distribute these cultivars to smallholders,” Dr Jamnadass said. “Plantings of high-quality guava, tamarind, pomegranate, papaya, custard apple and jackfruit stock from outside the region all have great potential in Africa”.

Overcoming challenges

A challenge to overcome is legislation that restricts the international exchange of these domesticated fruit trees. Better coordination between relevant legislation is needed to remove unintended hindrances to the transfer of improved plant materials that can benefit farmers and consumers more widely.

To help widespread uptake, the study recommends a process in which smallholder farmers themselves select superior types of local species. Called participatory tree domestication, the approach marries local knowledge of fruit tree cultivation with scientific advances in collecting and propagating genetically superior plants by rooting cuttings and grafting. This approach involves local people directly and empowers communities to manage local resources.

Expanding and improving markets

Another hurdle for producers of both exotic and indigenous fruit is access to markets. “Producing good quality fruit is one thing, but being able to sell it at a fair price is another,” says Steven Franzel, one of the study’s co-authors and head of the Centre’s research on marketing and extension. “We also need to understand consumer demand and expand and improve markets if smallholders are to benefit more broadly,” he said.

By looking at the value chain – how products are brought from production to consumption and how value is created during harvesting, processing, storage, transport, marketing and so on – bottlenecks in delivery can be identified and acted upon, Dr Franzel explained, achieving better outcomes for farmers.

Value chain analyses on the njansang nut in Cameroon, for example, led to stronger farmers’ producer groups that had better negotiating power and were able to sell members’ nuts in bulk. . Consequently they received a much better price for their produce.

“We need to find efficient, low-cost and achievable ways to boost nutrition; and with the right interventions, agroforestry with quality fruit trees has great potential to do this”, said Dr Jamnadass.