Edible Wild Fruit Trees and Shrubs and Their Socioeconomic Significance in Central Ethiopia

Abstract

of farm households not only during periods of food shortage but also on a daily basis and provide a number of important dietary elements that the normal agricultural production fails to provide adequately. For instance, edible wild plants have been reported to have higher fat, proteins, minerals, and vitamin contents than cultivated species. They provide in particular vitamins A and C, zinc, iron, calcium, iodine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folacin (Ohiokpehai 2003). Hence, edible wild plants are important for achieving nutritional balance in the diet and are particularly important for ensuring food security for women, children, and the poor, who heavily rely on them (Guijt et al. 1995, Teketay et al. 2010).In addition to these, during times of stress-such as crop failure, pest attack, and drought-edible wild plants serve as major sources of food. This implies that the consumption of wild plants is a necessary part of the strategies adopted by people in order to survive in harsh environ- Edible Wild Fruit Trees and Shrubs and Their Socioeconomic Significance in Central EthiopiaYigremachew Seyoum, Demel Teketay, Girma Shumi, and Melaku Wodafirash Research AbstractAn ethnobotanical study was conducted to investigate indigenous knowledge and socioeconomics of edible wild fruit trees and shrubs (EWFTSs) in Arsi Zone, Central Ethiopia. A total of 90 respondents were interviewed and consisted of men, women, and children who were selected by stratified random sampling. A total of 30 EWFTSs bearing species that belong to 20 families were identified. Age and gender distribution of respondents on the choice of four of the top five species were homogeneous indicating that promotion can be planned indifferently to all households. Indigenous knowledge on EWFTSs varied significantly (P < 0.05) with age groups and gender as well as area of respondents. Elder males appeared more familiar with EWFTSs. Income generated from sales of EWFTSs is, however, marginal. A considerable proportion of the community acknowledged food values of EWFTSs, and more than half preferred EWFTSs over cultivated commercial fruit, suggesting that efforts towards their integration into the current farming system are appealing. Realizing the resource depletion, about 54% of the respondents planted EWFTSs while 87% showed interest to participate in domestication programs. The study explored a great potential of promoting EWFTSs in Arsi Zone and assisting the country's efforts of ensuring food security.

Ethnic and generational differences in traditional knowledge and cultural importance of <i>Lannea microcarpa<i/> Engl. & K. Krause in Benin’s Sudanian savannah

“…In addition, edible fruit trees were spared from destruction by people for their survival in difficult environments and during periods of shortage because these trees represent a relatively substantial source of food (Seyoum et al, 2015) as a complementary or alternative food source (Okia et al, 2008). The similarity in food uses among cultural groups and generations also suggests a general consensus for L. microcarpa food uses.…”

“…Because of their importance, there is increasing interest in the management of IFT natural populations to sustain their provisioning ecosystem services. For this goal and because traditional knowledge (TK) on local resources is important for their sustainable use and conservation (Luoga et al, 2000), many ethnobotanical and ethno-ecological studies have addressed the importance of IFT for livelihoods (Cheikhyoussef and Embashu, 2013;Seyoum et al, 2015). Other studies have focused on the management and conservation of IFT (Gouwakinnou et al, 2011;Seyoum et al, 2015) and how both are related to socio-economic, socio-demographic and geographical contexts in tropical regions.…”

Effects of biodiversity loss and restoration scenarios on tree-related ecosystem services

“…Two approaches were combined to obtain a species-specific score for each ES. First, we performed a literature search on the selected species (Bekele 2007;Alajmi and Alam 2014;Seyoum et al 2015) and second, we conducted focus group discussions with selected key informants of the community living in the study area. Based on these discussions, each species was scored for each ES, according to local knowledge and habits.…”

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“…[21] In Aris zone of Central Ethiopia, the plant is grown for edible fruits that are eaten. [22] In Kabira subcounty, Rakai district, Southwestern region of Uganda, the decoction prepared from roots is administered to cattle as a remedy for cough. [17] The fruit of the plant is consumed as an edible in Berehet District, Ethiopia, in the form of an additional food.…”