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. KusenaCurator for the National Genebank of Zimbabwe

ngbz@mweb.co.zw or kudzaikusena@yahoo.com

Brief Background

• 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 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

Makoni district Background

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 • 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 • 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

Farmers

Farmers Groups

Farmers Cooperative

Private Agro enterprise

Shops, Restaurants

Consumers

Production, Primary processing Collection,

Primary processing

Collection, Processing, Packaging and Marketing

Existing Supply Chain of Taro Products

Analysis of Existing Market Chain: Key Issues

Producer•Lacking price negotiation capacity

•Inadequate capacity for quality and scale of production

•Lack of ownership on value-added products

Processors•Inadequate technology for processing and packaging

•Irregular supply of products (quality and quantity)

Marketing

• Inadequate knowledge on market mix • Insufficient knowledge for promotion • Very few market outlets

Consumer• Irregular supply • Lack of knowledge of nutrition and recipe preparation• Inadequate market outlets

Capacity

Technology

Market Mix

Awareness

- 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

Relevance and Impact of sustainable use of Taro

Wetland manage

ment

Ecosystem Services

Impact on ecosystem services on wetland management

• Meeting the high ecosystem service value in balance

with high wetland management value (Four cell analysis)

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