Some Aspects of Ecology and Social Structure in the Ensete Complex in South-West Ethiopia

Shack, William A.

doi:10.2307/2844334

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The plant also provides fibre which is used for rope, sieves and cleaning material (Huffnagel 1961). Ritually prepared ensete has an important role in birth, circumcision, marriage, and death ceremonies (Shack 1963). As already noticed by Smeds (1955) and Stanley (1966), ensete had not been thoroughly investigated and up until the time that the present study was carried out this was still the case.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…A wide range of estimates of the number of ensete plants consumed per person annually has been reported: 3 by Wohlenberg in 1936 as cited in Smeds (1955), 9 by Stanley (1966), 10 by Shack (1966), 12 by Smeds (1955), 10-12 by Bezuneh and Feleke (1966), 12-15 by Shack (1963), and 15-20 by Huffnagel (1961). Taking into account a yield of ensete food of 34kg per plant (Table 1) and a daily consumption of 0-55 kg ensete, it can be calculated that the number of ensete plants consumed annually is 5.9 per person or 36 per household which on average comprise 6.1 persons.…”

Section: Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cultivation, preparation and consumption of ensete (ensete ventricosum) in Ethiopia

et al. 1995

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In Ethiopia almost 10 million people are dependent on ensete (Ensete uentricosum (Welw) Cheesman), also known as 'false banana'. In the Gurage area in Central Ethiopia, agronomic and nutritional aspects of ensete were studied in 60 households in six villages. Ensete is propagated vegetatively and has a 6-year growing cycle during which it is transplanted three or four times. Men harvest the plants; women scrape the pseudo stem in order to separate the starchy pulp from the fibre, and pulverise the corm. The pulp is fermented and stored for up to 5-7 years in earthen pits. The yield of ensete food (ko'cho) was found to be 34 kg per plant or 9.5 tons ha-' per year. Compared with other foods grown in Ethiopia, the energy yield of ensete (6.1 MJ m-' per year) was higher than that of all cereals, Irish potato, sweet potato and banana, but lower than that of cassava. The protein yield of ensete was higher (1 1.4 g m-' per year) than all of the crops mentioned above, except for banana and Irish potato. To make ensete bread, fermented pulp is squeezed to make it drier, chopped to shorten the fibres and a 2 cm layer is baked for 15 min. Unfermented freshly harvested corm is also eaten after boiling. All foods have a low protein content (4-22 g kg-I). Bu'lla, white desiccated juice collected from the pulp, is more energy rich (8.5 MJ kg-') than ko'cho (6.5 MJ kg-'). A dietary survey, conducted in 39 households comprising 237 persons, showed that the average daily intake of 0.55 kg ensete provided 68% of total energy intake, 20% of protein, 28% of iron but no vitamin A. Energy intake from all food consumed was very low, being only 60% of requirements, while protein intake at 107% was ample. Since ensete can be stored for years, is readily available throughout the year and can withstand dry periods, its cultivation can significantly improve household food security in highland areas prone to drought and famine.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivation, preparation and consumption of ensete (ensete ventricosum) in Ethiopia

et al. 1995

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“…In all but the driest lowlands, where herders grow no crops, and the highest altitudes, where enset thrives best (Pijls et al 1995), people grow enset along with varying proportions of other root crops or cereals (see Brandt et al 1997, and R. Quinlan et aln.d.). Shack (1963) concludes that the sedentarypastoral dichotomy is inadequate, and we concur. Planting co-exists with the cattle complex in the form of agro-pastoralism, such that the "enset complex," in reality entails a subsistence system of mutual dependence between humans, livestock, and crops.…”

Section: Sidama Agro-pastoralism and Enset Gardeningmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Within the hoe cultures, enset is "by far" the most important staple food (Murdock 1959), feeding a dense rural population across SW Ethiopia (see e.g. Bezuneh 1971, Bezuneh and Feleke 1966, Brandt et al 1997, Rahmato 1995, Shack 1963. In Ethiopia, the pastoralist, hoe, and plow farming distinctions remain useful, but, on the ground, these are not simple, isolated strategies.…”

Section: Sidama Agro-pastoralism and Enset Gardeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sidama Agro-Pastoralism and Ethnobiological Classification of its Primary Plant, Enset (Ensete ventricosum)

Quinlan

Dira

2014

EBL

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Enset is an essential plant for the Ethiopian Sidama system of agropastoralism. Sidama agropastoralism and the folk taxonomy of enset is presented here in ethnographic context. One of several societies of Ethiopia’s enset complex, the highland Sidama are among the most wholly reliant on enset and maintain more enset varieties in their gardens than other groups. Sidama agro-pastoral systems revolve around human-enset-cattle interaction: Sidama eat low-protein parts of enset; cattle eat high-protein parts of enset; Sidama get protein from dairy; Sidama fertilize enset with cattle manure. In the Sidama language, enset offers an example of Hunn’s generic elevation within the framework of Berlinian perceptual-taxonomic theory. Weesho (enset) may serve both as a folk generic taxon and a life-form taxon depending on the frame of reference. Such expansion allows for an intermediate taxa translating to “male” or “female” ensets, followed by generic and specific taxa for kinds or “breeds” of enset. Generic elevation offers descriptive magnification of nomenclature for enset, a most salient species among Sidama people.

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“…The ensat-planting culture is located in the south-western highland zone between ca 1600 m and ca 3000 m (Smeds, 1955), and ensat is grown for food in no other part of Africa but for south-west Ethiopia (Murdock, 1960;Purseglove, 1972). This area is characterized by a complex of cultural traits connected with the ensat cultivation, the so-called ensat culture complex area (Shack, 1963). The people living in central and northern Ethiopia, however (either Semitic or Cushitic), prefer to cultivate cereals, pulses and oilcrops, and neglect tuber crops, vegetables and fruits.…”

Section: Ensat-planting Versus Grain-plough Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Pulses in Ethiopia, Their Taxonomy and Agricultural Significance

Polhill¹,

Westphal²

1975

Kew Bulletin

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Some Aspects of Ecology and Social Structure in the Ensete Complex in South-West Ethiopia

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Cultivation, preparation and consumption of ensete (ensete ventricosum) in Ethiopia

Cultivation, preparation and consumption of ensete (ensete ventricosum) in Ethiopia

Sidama Agro-Pastoralism and Ethnobiological Classification of its Primary Plant, Enset (Ensete ventricosum)

Pulses in Ethiopia, Their Taxonomy and Agricultural Significance

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