Transcript African Regional Expert Workshop on Sustainable Use of

African Regional Expert Workshop
on Sustainable Use of Biodiversity
Nairobi, 12 -15 December 2006
CASE STUDY: Conservation and Sustainable Use of
Taro (Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma sp) in
Makoni district
By
Mr. K. Kusena
Curator for the National Genebank of Zimbabwe
[email protected] or [email protected]
Brief Background
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Taro is a tuber crop
Grows well in wetlands
Tubers are the edible parts
High nutritional value (Vit A,
Dietary fiber)
• Prime source of
carbohydrates
• Used mainly as bread or
sweet potato substitute
• Breakfast, lunch
Makoni district Background
• Makoni District of Zimbabwe
• High-veld agro-ecology 4
(tropical) and high altitude
variation (600 to 1500 m asl)
• One ethnic group and one
spoken languages
• 90 % of population depending
on Agriculture for their
livelihood
• Farmers are relatively small holders (< 0.5 ha)
• About four farmers groups including
Why conserving Taro diversity in
Zimbabwe
Fast erosion of taro genetic
diversity
 Adaptive management
 Series of droughts resulting
in poor wetlands
 Poor technologies for
bridging the dry season gap
 Invasive alien species
 Neglecting the crop as a low
value crops in monetary
terms.
Taro, Diversity and Market Potentials
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Underutilized crop with low cost of
production
Over 30 different landraces in three
provinces of Zimbabwe
All parts (leaf, petiole, corms) are edible
High economic value than sweet
potatoes
Traditional food crop linked with unique
food habit and culture
Long storage capacity
Lower risk to pest and disease
Seasonally harvested
Market Potentials
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Growing Demands of Taro products in city areas
Consumption by rich and educated people (Reduce obesity)
Changing food habits in youth (Fast food to Traditional food)
Global concerns on under-utilized crops
Constrains towards sustainable use
• Localized market and varies quality of traditional
products
• Farmers are not getting premium price
• Lack of adequate Research and technology for
new product development
• Competition (substitute by potato)
• No clear supportive policies, laws and institutions
• Genetic erosion
• Weak co-ordination among the relevant
stakeholders for the supply chain and on-farm
management of taro diversity
Existing Supply Chain of Taro Products
Production,
Primary
processing
Farmers
Groups
Collection,
Primary
processing
Farmers
Cooperative
Collection, Processing,
Packaging and Marketing
Private Agro
enterprise
Farmers
Shops,
Restaurants
Consumers
Analysis of Existing Market Chain:
Key Issues
•Lacking price negotiation capacity
Producer
•Inadequate capacity for quality and scale of
production
Capacity
•Lack of ownership on value-added products
Processors
Marketing
Consumer
•Inadequate technology for processing and packaging
Technology
•Irregular supply of products (quality and quantity)
• Inadequate knowledge on market mix
• Insufficient knowledge for promotion
• Very few market outlets
• Irregular supply
• Lack of knowledge of nutrition and recipe
preparation
• Inadequate market outlets
Market Mix
Awareness
Relevance and Impact of
sustainable use of Taro
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Increased income to the farmer through better price
Increase wetland management and Taro production
Maintenance of diversity (wetland ecosystem)
Easy access to market
Quality of taro products available
Regular supply of taro guaranteed
Increased demand from urban population
Increased number of entrepreneurs (competition)
Awareness Increased
A network of public-private sectors strengthened
Impact on ecosystem services on wetland
management
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Meeting the high ecosystem service value in balance
with high wetland management value (Four cell
analysis)
Wetland
manage
ment
Ecosystem
Services
Who is responsible for its
sustainable use
• Farmers own the crop by default and they are at a better
position to report on the crop status
• Taro has been culturally or customary inherited from
generation to generation.
• The crop has clear market incentives but they are not
fully explored
• Usually characterized as a woman crop especially old
age and widows
• There are no clear mechanism used to measure status
but the National Genebank has two Taro field genebanks
• There is need for other conservation methods like tissue
culture and cryopreservation