Researchers at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences are investigating ways in which the African baobab tree can be used to help ensure food security in Africa
Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 8 June 2016: The baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), also known as the monkey-bread tree, is a distinctive tree species native to large parts of Africa. The fruit, leaves and other parts of the tree can be used as food and are characterised, for example, by a high content of vitamins, trace elements and antioxidants. Since 2008, the dried pulp of the baobab has also been authorised in the European Union and has been gaining a foothold in the market ever since. However, the tree species is of particular importance in the poor and underdeveloped rural areas of East Africa, where it can make a significant contribution to improving the nutritional situation and increasing incomes for the local population. However, commercial use has so far often been hampered by a lack of availability and fluctuating quality of plant material, a lack of cultivation and processing technologies, and underdeveloped supply chains.
This is where the project on ‘Improving local food supply and nutritional status by promoting the use of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) in rural communities in East Africa’ comes in. Through their work, the participating researchers aim to develop solutions for the utilisation, processing and marketing of baobab, thereby contributing to food security in the project region.
The research activities span the entire value chain, ranging from questions concerning the biology and ecology of the baobab tree to the production and marketing of baobab-based foods. For example, to ensure that the commercial use of baobab does not endanger natural populations, the geographical distribution of the tree species is to be precisely mapped, and recommendations for sustainable management and, where appropriate, domestication are to be derived. The nutritional content of the fruit will be analysed using modern methods and assessed and improved through traditional processing technologies. At the same time, the project will investigate the current contribution that baobab products make to the nutritional and income situation of the local population, in order to assess the potential for competition arising from commercial use. Target group and market analyses in Kenya and Sudan will explore the market potential for the development of new food products made from baobab. These products will ultimately be manufactured by the local population in a production facility for the domestic market.
The BAOFOOD project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) acts as the project management organisation. The total funding allocated to Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences amounts to 988,576 euros for the period from 2016 to 2019.
