TREEFOOD: What is TREEFOOD ?

Project title :

Enhancing nutritious food availability through promotion of native edible tree/shrub species in Sub-Saharan Africa

Acronyme :	Duration :	Start date :	End date :
TREEFOOD	3 years	01/01/2017	31/12/2019

Consortium members :

Institut d’Economie Rurale (Mali)
Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Bénin)
Université de Ouagadougou I Pr. Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Burkina Faso)
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (Niger)
Ghent university (Belgium)
Aarhus University (Denmark).

Sponsors :

AgropolisFondation, Fondation Cariplo, Fondation Daniel & Nina Carasso

Project coordinator

Dr. Amadou Malé KOUYATE, Mali

Introduction

The present project will be carried out in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger (Sub-Saharan Africa). This region is characterized by high population growth, unpredictable food provision and high malnutrition rates (23.2% in 2014-2016). As considered constraint to the economic development in West Africa, malnutrition affect adults and more than 18 million of children aged less than 5 years who have more deficiencies. how will these (rural) populations continue to survive if staple food production cannot keep pace with population growth rate? In view of this problem, the present project seeks to diversify food sources by placing special emphasis on food tree by a holistic approach.

Overall developmental objective

Contribute to food security and the fight against malnutrition through improved sustainable management and use of a selected number of edible tree/shrub species.

Overall research objectives

Make a literature review and inventory local knowledge and practices on native edible tree/shrub species and products.
Assess/characterize biochemical compounds and nutritional value of native edible tree/shrub products.
Analyze and develop value chains and improve marketing and processing of selected edible tree/shrub products for longer shelf life and improved nutritional quality.
Develop locally adapted domestication of high-potential native edible tree/shrub species.
Strengthen institutional and innovation capacity of local communities.

Expected results

Local knowledge and practices on edible tree/shrub species and products are known;
Biochemical composition and nutritional values of target edible tree/shrub products are known;
Value chains of target edible tree/shrub products are analyzed and their marketing and processing are improved;
An adapted propagation techniques of edible tree/shrub species are developed;
Institutional and platforms capacity is strengthened.

Activities

The main activities are grouped in five work packages:

(WP1) Literature review and traditional knowledge survey on native edible tree/shrub species;
(WP2) Assessment of biochemical compounds and nutritional value of selected native edible tree/shrub species products;
(WP3) Analysis and development of value chains and improvement of marketing and processing of selected edible tree/shrub products;
(WP4) Development of locally adapted domestication of selected native edible tree/shrub species;
(WP5) Capacity building.