Cinderella trees - trees of many treasures
Trees which have potential to provide food security and to alleviate
poverty and malnutrition were first described by Dr Roger Leakey,
ex-Director of Research at ICRAF, as "Cinderella trees"
because they have been overlooked by science and their potential left
untapped. Most of these trees occur in the wild in forests and are
seldom cultivated, although they are sometimes left in the fields when
the land is cleared for agriculture. In many cases, local people are
not reaping the full benefits because the trees have not been 'improved'
but, over the past few years, several tree species that are
particularly valuable to farmers have been selected for domestication
by ICRAF.
Surveys have been conducted in Africa and Amazonia to determine which
tree species are particularly valued locally and to identify those
which may be of international importance.
West Africa - humid and semi-arid lowlands
In the humid forests of West Africa, there is enormous potential for improvement and domestication of the bush mango (Irvingia gabonenesis) (see bush mango article) and the African Plum (Dacroydes edulis). Fruit and kernels are of nutritional value for humans and, in the case of African Plum seeds, as a feed supplement for animals. Of great international importance, but also highly valued in the semi-arid lowlands of West Africa, is the sheanut, or karité, (Vitellaria paradoxa). The nuts are processed into oil or 'butter' and exported to Europe and Japan to be used as the main ingredient in many high quality cosmetic products. The 'butter' is also used locally for cooking, as an illuminant and as a salve for healing wounds. However, the annual nut production of wild shea trees is unpredictable so efforts are now being made to select the best producing trees. Initial results of reproducing these by vegetative propagation have been promising.
More majestic than the sheanut, and of greater value, is the Baobab (Adansonia digitata). Common throughout the Sahel, the growth of the Baobab is often managed and protected by local people. The tree is used in a number of ways: the bark as fibre, its wood as fuel, the leaves for a vegetable sauce and the fruit pulp for making porridge and for flavouring drinks. The nutritional value is particularly important due to the high levels of vitamin A and calcium found in the leaves and vitamin C in the fruit pulp (10 x greater cf. oranges). All the products obtained from the baobab are used locally and many are sold in the market to provide income. With an increased awareness of the nutritional value of this tree the market demand for products such as baobab powder could be greater still.
Southern African plateau
In southern Africa a treasure trove of untapped tree wealth is in danger of disappearing as the miombo woodlands are cleared at an alarming rate. There are more than 50 species of indigenous fruit trees in the miombo and these are well known and highly prized by local people who depend on the fruits as an important cash crop and source of food security.
ICRAF has now identified two priority species which could be of great value to rural farmers when grown in the field. The two species, Sclerocarya birrea and Uapaca kirkiana, known locally as 'marula' and 'masuku', provide a wide range of useful products. Away from the competitive surroundings of the forest, both trees have been shown to grow and mature faster and produce bigger fruits within two to three years.
Marula produces
fruit of great nutritional value as the juice contains four to eight
times more vitamin C than oranges. In an area that suffers from
problems of nutrition and mineral deficiencies demand for the fruit
will always be high. The fruit are also used to make a creamy liqueur
which is now sold internationally as 'Amarula'. High quality
oil can also be extracted from the nuts inside the fruit stone and
used for cooking.
Masuku has a fruit with a fleshy pulp which is eaten fresh or processed into a variety of food products such as juices, jams and wine. The demand for the fruit is high and two factories in Malawi and Zambia are already processing the juice for wine. The tree leaves, bark and roots are an important part of traditional medicine and the mushrooms, which proliferate around the base of the tree, provide an additional and valued crop which is sold at local markets, or even dried and exported.
West Amazonia
Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.), traditionally the staple crop of much of South and Central America, has always been highly valued for its variety of nutritious foods. Peach palm is still widely cultivated as a subsistence crop but it has largely been neglected as a crop of commercial value. The tree yields two major products: the fruit and the 'heart of palm'. The cooked fruit is eaten as a local delicacy and is an important source of vitamins, particularly vitamin A, and iron. Flour derived from the pulp can be used in infant formula, baked goods and as meal for animal feed. These products all have a local market but further commercialization for the international market is gradually being developed. Heart-of-palm, a good source of dietary fibre, magnesium and iron, is already an important commercial crop, particularly for the gourmet market. Over 2000 ha. are grown in Costa Rica for marketing as fresh, dried or canned products and processing of the heart-of-palm for the international market could become a major agro-industry for producing countries.
Many other tree products that are available locally in Africa and Amazonia could be commercialized as vegetables, spices, and medicinal products for treating malnutrition, malaria, prostate problems and even impotence (See Prunus africana). By domesticating the trees on farm and improving the characteristics of their products, farmers can increase their income as well as help maintain the wildlife associated with these trees and so diversify agro-ecosystems.
