The use of and trade in indigenous edible fruits in the Bushbuckridge savanna region, South Africa

Abstract

The use, processing, cultivation and trading of indigenous edible fruits was recorded across a rainfall gradient in the Mpumalanga lowveld. Three transects, each consisting of one village in a relatively high rainfall zone, one village in a low rainfall zone, and one intermediate, were sampled by means of 20 households per village. Nearly all households made use of indigenous edible fruits to some extent, with households in the wettest region using the greatest diversity of fruits. The duration of availability of selected species was increased through drying, storing and processing the raw fruits for later consumption. Such activities were more common in the drier regions relative to the wetter villages. Just less than half the respondents maintained indigenous fruit trees within their homestead or arable fields, whereas more than 65% grew exotic commercial fruit species. Many respondents traded in edible fruits, but very few obtained a significant income in this way. Nonetheless, even casual trading provided vital supplementary income for low-income households.

Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-Wild Edible Fruit Species used by Maale and Ari Ethnic Communities in Southern Ethiopia

“…In this regard, our results are in line with those of Mengistu and Hager (2009) and Pinstrup-Andersen (2009) Just as in South Africa (Shackleton et al 2000), taste was an important criterion for wild fruit preference. Such preferences, however, may vary from one study site to another (Mengistu & Hager 2008).…”

Addressing constraints in promoting wild edible plants’ utilization in household nutrition: case of the Congo Basin forest area

“…The most well known of these are famine foods when rains, and consequently crops, are unexpectedly low [19,38] and also the seasonal shortfall during what is termed the "hunger season" [13,19,38,40]. However, WEPs are used in times of other shocks, such as retrenchment which reduces household cash income, death of a breadwinner or loss of crops to pests [13,39].…”

“…Although such safety nets use is irregular and hard to predict, it can be crucial to maintaining food diversity and security during times of hardship. In some instances, such periods can be prolonged such as during wars or conflicts [41], major economic adjustment programs such as in TimorLeste [19] or multi-year famine [39,40].…”

Local processing and nutritional composition of indigenous fruits: The case of monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) from Southern Africa

“…(58,61) In Southern Africa, monkey orange fruits are commonly dried by fire and direct sun to fruit rolls, leathers, pound into flour (S. cocculoides) used to cook porridge, referred to locally as "bozo" in Mozambique (30) or re-cooked as a sauce. (62) Sun dried monkey orange pulp can be stored from two months to five years, (63) which makes thermal drying an ideal preservation method due to its affordability for rural communities and as a means to secure continuous fruit availability into the next season.…”