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
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
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