Hands On - The Earth Report from TVE.org

Series 3 details

This Programme:

''Out of the Woods'

Reports and multimedia:

Coconuts to Cars - Brazil

Made in Miombo - Malawi

Forest Pharmacy - India

Smart Hives - Tanzania

Measure for Measure - Guatemala

Urban Jungle - UK

Series 3 Programme Guide

Other Episodes:

Grow it yourself

Net Profits

Out of the Woods

Fair Trade, Fair Profit

Waste to Wages

The Equator Initiative - Pure Gene-eous

Fuel for Thought

Funding the Future

Series 3: Programme 6 (of 8) - 'Out of the Woods'

Report 5 (of 6): Made in Miombo - Malawi

Introduction

The livelihoods of the majority of rural people in African drylands depend on the forests and woodlands as sources of agricultural land, firewood and charcoal, as well as non-timber forest products such as food, fibre and medicines. The ecological balance in arid and semi-arid environments is delicate, so sustainable land-use practices are required if people's basic needs for the future are to be fulfilled. Using tree and shrub resources sustainably is an integral part of this. Agroforestry is an ecologically based natural resources management system and a way to achieve sustainability. Integrating trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape diversifies and sustains production, providing increased social, economic and environmental benefits for small-scale farmers.

The Miombo woodlands in the heart of southern Africa make up the largest continuous dry deciduous forest in the world. It extends across the continent from east to west, covering some 2.7 million square kilometres and crossing the countries of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Approximately 39 million people live in and derive their livelihoods from areas covered by Miombo woodlands. And around 15 million urban inhabitants depend on products harvested from these trees, including food, firewood and charcoal.

In Malawi, the Miombo woodlands continue to disappear as they give way to the pressures of a growing human population. Attempts to conserve the natural forest while raising the standard of living for some of its poorest rural people has led to new ways of looking at the trees within it. One project, aided with money from the UK government, aims to achieve both. The central focus of this project is the enhanced well-being of rural farmers, marketers and consumers through improved domestication, utilisation and commercialisation of indigenous fruit trees and their products. Once trees are planted and mature, the farmers can harvest resin, fruits and other products for two or three generations. These 'forest gardens' preserve biodiversity and safeguard the environment while being economically productive.

Miombo Forest in Malawi

In the Zomba area of Malawi, the Miombo woodlands are very degraded. In order to grow enough food, local people have cleared areas for crops, and huge amounts of wood were used as fuel by tobacco companies (they now grow their own on plantations).

In order to combat the deforestation, the project is attempting to rediscover lost knowledge about the ecology of these woodlands and to investigate products that could be harvested commercially. Experts have been working with local communities to discover and address their needs while still preserving the woodlands. Alongside farming, many products were being gathered from the forest, mostly by women trying to support their families. Yet forest products such as thatch grass, ropes, mushrooms and fruit were not earning the women enough.

Fruits of the Forest

Fruit trees that have potential to provide food security and to alleviate poverty and malnutrition are often called 'Cinderella trees' because they have been overlooked by science, and their potential left untapped. Most of these trees occur in wild forests and they are rarely cultivated, although they are sometimes left in the fields when the land is cleared for agriculture. In many cases, local people have not been reaping the full potential benefits.

Indigenous fruits of the Miombo forest such as Uapaca kirkiana, Parinari curatellifolia, Strychnos ccocculoides, and Flacourtia indica are important sources of food for many rural communities that live within its boundaries. Such fruits have long been used to supplement diets. They contain essential vitamins which are important especially for growing children, who are often prone to malnutrition and related diseases. Income can also be generated through the sale of fruits and fruit juice.

In Malawi, the Makoka Research Station, part of the government's Agricultural Research Department, is encouraging farmers to plant certain trees specifically for commercial benefit and it is helping to increase the market value for commercial forest fruit products. Local businesses such as the Magomero Processing Enterprise, who already process fruit for commercial sale, are being encouraged to use Miombo fruits in their range of products, such as the Uapaca kirkiana fruit or 'masuku' fruit as it is locally known.

Masuku fruit

The masuku tree is one of 50 valuable species of fruit trees growing throughout the indigenous African woodland that stretches from Tanzania south to Malawi. It is found in lowland forest, secondary Miombo woodland such as clearings, open woodland, and on farms, where farmers deliberately leave it standing when land is cleared for cropping. It is an undomesticated tree, valued for its juicy and tasty fruit, wood and medicinal products. Besides its use for juices, squashes, porridge, jams and cakes, it is also used to make the popular wines called 'mulunguzi' and 'masuku'.

Characteristics

Masuku is a fast growing tree that tolerates poor, shallow soils, gravel, and sandy loam soils. The seed does not remain viable long, so it must be sown fresh. The tree flowers and fruits during the rainy season, and fruits ripen from September through December. Fruits are edible from October through to February.

Important uses

Fruit: Masuku highly regarded for its edible fruit. It contains high levels of vitamin C and is used to prepare sweetmeats or jams. A seasoning for food is obtained from the wood ash and it is an important famine food in dry areas. It is eaten by both children and adults and is also used to make sweet beer and wine. The high potential for domestication of this species is due to its popularity with farmers.
Fodder: Masuku fruits be used in animal feed. The flush of leaves at the end of the dry season is utilised by cattle as fodder in the absence of more palatable alternatives.
Timber: Masuku wood is hard and durable, glues well, holds nails firmly and takes a clear varnish finish. It is suitable for general carpentry, house building and domestic utensils, furniture and joinery, carvings and boxes and is termite resistant.
Dyestuff: A blue dye is made from the roots.
Medicine: The root is used to treat indigestion.
Fuelwood: Charcoal from this tree is highly regarded and many trees are cut for this purpose. It is also used for firewood in areas where the demand for charcoal is low.
Other uses: The fruit is a significant source of income in rural areas, demand for which has recently increased by the development of the cottage wine industry. The thick, broad leaves are also used as wrappers for storage of processed food.

Agroforestry

The integration of trees into farming, agroforestry as it's known, attempts to reduce the pressure on forests by providing farmers with a nearby, convenient source of food, fuelwood and timber for construction. Agroforestry is well suited to the forest margins of Latin America, South-east Asia and Africa, where slash-and-burn agriculture is widespread. Tropical trees and crops with the most potential include:

Africa

Fruit kernels on sale in Cameroon © Zac Tchoundjeu

Bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis) The fruit pulp of the bush mango or African mango tree can be used for a fruit drink and for jam production. The kernel can be processed into flour by extraction, drying and grinding. The pounded seed is added to meat and various vegetable dishes as a sauce or used as a thickening agent for stews and soups. The kernels can also be used to produce margarine and cooking oil and provide a major item of trade in regional markets.

African plum fruit © Anthony Simons

African Plum (Dacryodes edulis) The African plum, a tree indigenous in the humid lowlands of West Africa, has its principal value in its fruit. The leathery, shelled stone is surrounded by a pulpy wall, about 5 mm thick, which is the portion eaten either raw or cooked in the form of a sort of butter. It has a mild smell of turpentine and is oily. The fruits are boiled in salt water, fried, or roasted over charcoal. The fruit pulp yields about 48 per cent edible oil, is rich in vitamins and contains a range of amino acids.

African fruits roasted and sold in the local market © Ebenezer Asaah

It is probably the most widely planted indigenous species in the region, but its domestication would ease propagation for use on farms, and also help develop higher-value fruit with more pulp that could fetch more in local and regional markets.

Pygeum seeds © Marie Louise Avana

Pygeum (Prunus africana) Pygeum or red stinkwood bark is the industrial source of a drug used to treat mild hyperplasia (abnormal increase in tissue growth) and the abnormal enlargement of the prostate gland, ailments suffered by 60 per cent of older men. The current trade in this bark is estimated at US$150 million per year. Its over-exploitation in its natural African ecosystem is causing concern for wildlife in the zone where it grows. Its domestication could bring economic, social and environmental benefits in the tropics. The drug is not yet synthesised industrially.

Recently extracted seed © Anthony Simons

Meru oak (Vitex keniensis) Meru oak is hard and durable, very pale and similar to teak. It works easily and is used for panelling, veneer, furniture and coffin boards. Like many other high quality timbers, including mahogany, meru oak does not grow well on plantations. Farmers in Kenya and Cameroon are now starting to grow a few trees on their farms, which may become important for the future of the timber industry and for small-scale farmers.

Latin America

Peach palm fruit © Anthony Simons

Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) Peach palm is indigenous to the upper Amazon, where it has been grown for several centuries. Food and animal feed are produced from its fruits, and medicines from its roots, while its wood is used for parquet floors. It also produces the delicacy known as heart of palm or 'palmito', worth approximately US$50 million per year on the international market.

Once cooked and ground into flour, it is fermented to make 'chicha', a beer gruel with good flavour and nutritional qualities. Alternatively it is used in making breads, cakes and other pastries and as a potato substitute in meat or fish stews. Seeds may be consumed as nuts and the fruit palm is an energy-rich source of carbohydrates and oil. Even the pulp contains all essential amino acids and so is an excellent source of protein, while the mesocarp (between the wall and the skin) is rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A).

All these trees provide not only much needed fruit for food and drink, but also fodder, timber, dyestuff, wax, fat, fibre and medicine, and they have pollen that attracts bees, among other things. This makes them highly valuable and potentially profitable for poor farmers when combined with traditional crops.

Information on Agroforestry

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
PO Box 30677-00100 GPO
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel. +254 2 524000
Fax +254 2 524001
Email: ICRAF@cgiar.org
Website: http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/

The World Agrofoestry Centre combines research and development to address global poverty, hunger and environmental needs. The website has an excellent database of tree species and seed suppliers.

Websites

http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/
The Agroforestry Research Trust is a non-profit making charity, registered in England, which researches into temperate agroforestry and into all aspects of plant cropping and uses, with a focus on tree, shrub and perennial crops.

http://www.agroforester.com/
This is an information resource on Tropical Forestry and Agroforestry, with information on tree seedlings, seeds, and training and education.

www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp
The FAO Forestry Department promotes national and international action for the effective conservation, sustainable management and efficient utilisation of forest and related resources as an integral element of land use systems. This includes non-wood forest products.