African vegetables and products in SSA Some opportunities Patrick Maundu
Overview of presentation Vegetable diversity in African flora Vegetable products Prospects/ opportunities Challenges Conclusion
Plant species diversity in SSA 45,000 plant species About 10% of these have edible parts 800-1000 Vegetables species 210 recorded in Kenya
ALV include Introduced Traditional Root and Tuber species now used as leafy veges Through selection and accumulation of knowledge, new cultivars for vegetable have been developed
Highly commercialized vegetables Preference for a few exotic vegetables in Kenya mainly white cabbage, Swiss chard (spinach beet) and kale (sukuma). Dietary diversity being compromised are preferred
Why ALVs? Nutritional Value Comparison of the nutritional content of amaranth and cabbage 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Moisture (g) Fe (mg)x10 vit C (mg) B-carotene (ųg)/100 vit B2 (mg)x100 Ca (mg)/10 P (mg) Cabbage Amaranth Source: Maundu, 1999
Vegetables consumption a priority High prevalence of Mineral and Vitamin deficiency especially Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin A. High prevalence of micronutrient deficiency related diseases Anaemia, blindness etc An estimated 42.2% of children in SSA at risk of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) (Aguayo, V. 2003)
Why African leafy vegetables? More opportunities for growth in agricultural production More options to cope with new challenges e.g. climate change, new pests and diseases, water stress. Diversification of diets (Dietary diversity) for health and for enjoyment Preservation of cultural values Economic opportunities
Diversity -Fruit vegetables horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus), African eggplants
Some common leafy vegetables Leafy amaranths Crotalaria African nightshade Jute leaves Spiderplant
Potential for value adding Fresh vegetable Juices, beverages Dry ground vegetable (powder form) Dried vegetable In powder form Whole leaves or in chopped form Other products Oil from some vegetable seeds
Beverages Hibiscus (Roselle) drink, plant and calyxes
Products from leaves In the Sahelian region of West Africa, leaves are picked in the short period when the plant is in leaf, sun-dried and pounded into powder which is used as part of the daily sauce in the long dry season Baobab
Dried vegetables A common practice in Southern Africa Soups and soutp thickeners (finely ground) Use as normal vegetables after reconstituting Nutritional/ health
Use of dried leaves Species dried include: Pumpkin leaves Cowpea leaves Okra fruit Bean leaves Corchorus leaves (Jute)
Dried vegetables
Dried vegetables Pumpkin leaves Corchorus (Jute leaves)
Other species: Cassava leaves (sold in supermarkets in Rwanda in the dry form) Moringa Common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) Dried vegetables
Nutritional Moringa Stinging Nettle
Juices The next frontier Mainly for nutritional purposes Taste usually a deterrent Species in use include jute plant (Corchorus olitorius) and Moringa
Research and development needs Documentation of Indigenous knowledge and local practices Development of seed systems Nutritional research including food value, adding value to local foods through technological input germplasm selection, processing Germplasm collection and conservation
Research and Development Improvement Value chain development/ improvement, new markets Promotion Agronomic studies Value adding Reducing post harvest losses needs
Gaps -Taxonomy African Nightshades or Solanums (in the Section Solanum) Amaranthus spp.
Post harvest losses -How much money? what are the losses? Large quantities of vegetables are lost due to poor handling. Economic valuation A A minibus minibus loaded loaded with with Gnetum Gnetum (eru), (eru), Cameroon Cameroon
Gaps-improving germplasm quality Characterization; Germplasm selection
Promotion Interventions linking peri-urban and Rural Vegetable Farmers to the Formal Market Promotion work Recipes Adding value
Challenges for the Future -Research on Toxicity of some determine safe levels of some- Solanum, Crotalaria, Erythrococca -Germplasm improvement in trees
Indigenous knowledge documentation A race against time
Research in nutrition.. Nutritional analysis Bioavailability β-carotene Disease risk reduction Cleome gynandra nutritional blindness
Conclusion ALV have potential to contribute to: Poverty alleviation in Africa. Nutrition and health.
Conclusion cont.. More efforts are still needed in: Germplasm collection and conservation Genetic studies and improvement Improving seed systems Market research and Promotion Value addition Nutritional research including food value IK documentation Agronomic studies IK documentation