Public-Private partnerships on tree domestication for sustainable agroforestry and business innovations: Allanblackia spp.
Public-Private partnerships on tree domestication for sustainable agroforestry and business innovations: Allanblackia spp.
wca2014-1025 Daniel A. Ofori 1,*Ebenezer Asaah 2,Theresa Peprah 3,Alain Tsobeng 4,Zac Tchoundjeu 4,Moses Munjuga 1,Fidelis Rutatina 5,Jeremias G. Mowo 6,Ramni Jamnadass 1 and Public-private partnerships 1Tree Diversity Domestication and Delivery, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya, 2ICRAF, Makeni, Sierra Leone, 3Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Kumasi, Ghana, 4ICRAF, Yaounde, Cameroon, 5Novel Development Tanzania, Morogoro, Tanzania, United Republic of, 6ICRAF, Nairobi, KenyaAbstract Content: Public-Private partnerships on tree domestication for sustainable agroforestry and business innovations: Allanblackia species as a case study
Ofori, D. A.1*, Asaah, E.2, Peprah, T.3, Tsobeng, A.4, Tchoundjeu, Z.4, Munjuga, M.1, Rutatina, F.5, Mowo, J.G.1, Jamnadass, R.1
1. World Agroforestry Centre, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri , Box 30677-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
2. World Agroforestry Centre, 5 Presidential Lodge Rd, Makeni, Northern Province
Sierra Leone
3. CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, University Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
4. World Agroforestry Centre, WCA Regional Office, Box 16377, Yaounde, Cameroon
5. Novel Development Tanzania Ltd, Box 6099, Morogoro, Tanzania
– Corresponding Author: Daniel A. Ofori, Email. d.ofori@cgiar.org
Abstract
Trees play a crucial role in almost all terrestrial ecosystems and provide a range of products and services to rural and urban people. As natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture and other types of development, the benefits that trees provide are best sustained by integrating trees into agriculturally productive landscapes – a practice known as agroforestry. Tree domestication is an indispensable process in agroforestry for provision of the required tree genetic materials to meet the desired objectives and provide high value products. In particular, domestication of new tree crops, often termed as “neglected and underutilised crops” is one of the means for improving food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa. In the last decade, a participatory tree domestication approach involving close collaboration of scientists, government institutions, investors, NGOs and farmers has been developed for the edible oil-producing Allanblackia species of the family Clusiaceae in West, Central and East African regions. The approach, being practiced in mixed agroforestry regimes is enhancing diversification of species, incomes and rural business development. This paper highlights the achievement made in the domestication of Allanblackia species and the need for better engagement of public and private partners in future agricultural innovations.