Species of herbal spices grown in the poor farmers’ home gardens of West Shoa, Highlands of Ethiopia: an Ethnobotanical account

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/04/2014
Views (228) Download (3)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Species of herbal spices grown in the poor farmers’ home gardens of West Shoa, Highlands of Ethiopia: an Ethnobotanical account

M.I. Zuberi, Birhanu Kebede, Teklu Gosaye, Olika Belachew
J. Bio. Env. Sci.4( 4), 164-185, April 2014.
Certificate: JBES 2014 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

Survey of local market and villages around Ambo, Western Highlands of Ethiopia identified a group of herbal species regularly used in preparation of spice mixes for traditional Ethiopian dishes. The herbal species, local (Amheric) names being Basobila, Kosorat, Tosegn, Sega matbasha, Tenadam and Altufa, were not reported as a group before. The specimens collected from the market and village were documented with botanical identification, ethnobotanical investigation and role in the livelihood of the poor small farmers. Field survey indicated the species being grown in home gardens of nearby villages, their cultivation, marketing, preparation of the spice mixes and dishes traditional to the women only. Information and literature survey suggest, apart from socio-economic importance, these wild herbs have bright potential for poverty alleviation, improved women’s contribution to family income, small farmers’ adaptability to climate change. The issues of domestication, selection / breeding, value chain analysis resulting in value addition and improved marketing, utilization of WTO’s TRIPS under the protection of geographical indication (GI) were discussed.

VIEWS 1

Abbink J. 1995. Medicinal and ritual plants of the Ethiopian southwest: an account of recent research. Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor 3(2), 6-8.

Addis G. 2009. Wild and semi-wild edible plants of Hamar and Xonso (South Ethiopia) with emphasis on their ethnobotany and nutritional composition of selected species. In PhD Thesis. Addis Ababa University.

Addis GKU, Dikasso D. 2005. Ethnobotanical study of edible wild plants in some selected districts of Ethiopia. Journal of Human Ecology., 33, 83-118.

Agelet A, Bonet M, Valles J. 2000. Home gardens and their role as a main source of medicinal plants in mountain regions of Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula). In: Economic Botany 54(3), 295-309.

Albuquerque UP, Andrade LHC,  Caballero J. 2005. Structure and Floristic of Homegardens in Northeast of Brazil. Journal of Arid Environments 62, 491-506.

Al-Said MS, Tariq M, Al-Yahya MA. 1990. Studies on Ruta chalepensis, an ancient medicinal herb still used in traditional medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 28(3), 305-12.

Asfaw N, Storesund HJ, Skattebol L, Tonnesen F, Aasen AJ. 2000 Volatile oil constituents of two Thymus species from Ethiopia. Flavor Fragrance Journal 15, 123–125.

Asfaw Z, Tadesse M. 2001 Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany 55(1), 47-62.

Alevtina Gall, Zerihun Shenkute. 2009. Ethiopian traditional and herbal medications and their interactions with conventional drugs. ethnomed.

Balemie K, Kebebew F. 2006. Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Derashe and Kucha Districts, South Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2, 53-53.

Belachew Wassihun, Zemede Asfaw, Sebsebe Demissiew. 2003. Ethnobotanical Study of Useful Plants In Daniio Gade (Home-Gardens) In Southern Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Biological. Science 2(2), 119 – 141.

Boncodin R, Vega B. 1999. Local views on genetic resources conservation in ILEIA Center for Research and Information on low external input and sustainable Agriculture. Newsletter vol15,No 3 /4.

Clement CR. 1999.1492and the loss of Amazonian crop genetic resources. I.The relation between domestication and human population decline . Economic Botany 53, 188-202.

Clement CR, De Cristo-Ara ú jo M, Eeckenbrugge GCd, Pereira AA, Pican ç o-Rodrigues D. 2010 . Origin and domestication of native Amazonian crops. Diversity 2, 72 – 106 .

Cleveland DA, Soleri D. 1987. Household Gardens as a Development Strategy. Human Organization 46(3), 259-270

Cordeiro AMTM, Medeiros ML, Santos NA, Soledade LEB, Pontes LFBL, Souza AL, Queiroz N, Souza AG. 2013. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalisL.) extract : Thermal study and evaluation of the antioxidant effect on vegetable oils. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 113, 889–895.

CSA, 2008/09. CSA (Central Statistical Agency), 2008/09.Statistical report on area and production of crops. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

CSA4, 2008. FDRE CSA Agricultural Sample Survey: Report on Farm Management Practice, Addis Ababa.

Demese Chanyalew, Berhanu Adenew and John Mellor. 2010. Draft Five Year Growth and Transformation Plan 2010/11 to 2014/15. Ethiopia’s Agriculture Sector Policy and Investment

DFID. 2005. Growth and poverty reduction: the role of agriculture. A DFID policy paper. Published by the Department for International Development. December 2005.

Edwards SB. 1989. Herbaceous crops with important genetic resources in Ethiopia. Pages 123-134 in Proceedings of Natural Resource Conservation Conference, Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Edwards SB. 1991. Crops with wild relatives found in Ethiopia. Pages 42-47 in J. M. M. Engles, J. G. Hawkes, and Melaku Werede, eds., Plant genetic resources of Ethiopia, Cambridge University Press, UK.

Emshwiller E. 2006 . Genetic data and plant domestication. InM. A. Zeder, D. G. Bradley, E. Emshwiller, and B. D. Smith, [eds.], Documenting domestication, 99 – 122. University of California Press, Berkeley, California, USA.

Engels J. 2002. Home gardens – a genetic resources perspective. In: Watson JW and Eyzaguirre PB editors. Home gardens and in situconservation of plant genetic resources in farming systems. Proceedings of the second international home garden workshop, 17-19 July, Witzenhasen, Germany. DSE/ZEL, GTZ, IPGRI.

Ensermu Kelbessa, Sebsebe Demissew, Zerihun Woldu, Sue Edwards. 1992. Some threatened endemic plants of Ethiopia. Pages 35-55 in Sue Edwards and Zemede Asfaw, eds., The status of some plant resources in parts of tropical Africa, Botany 2000—East and Central Africa, NAPRECAMonograph Series 2. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Eyzaguirre PB, Linares OF. 2001. A new approach to study and promotion of home gardens. People and plants. Issue 7, 30-33 p.

Eyzaguirre PB, Linares OF. 2004. Home gardens and agro biodiversity. Smithsonian books, Washington.

Friis I, Rasmussen F, Vollesen K. 1982. Studies in the flora and vegetation of SW Ethiopia. Opera Botanica 63, 1-70.

Feleke Woldyes. 2000.  A  study  on  biodiversity management in Dadddegoyo (traditional home gardens) by Kaficho people of Bonga area (Southwestern Ethiopia): An ethnobotanical approach. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University, 89 pp.

Fraser EDG, Dougill AJK, Hubacek CH, Quinn J, Sendzimir, Termansen M. 2011. Assessing vulnerability to climate change in dryland livelihood systems: conceptual challenges and interdisciplinary solutions. Ecology and Society 16(3), 3.

Fullas F. 2003. Spice plants in Ethiopia: their culinary and medicinal applications. Iowa, USA: Library Congress Cataloging.

Gebrehana A. Hailemariam and Shimelis A. Emire. 2013. Antioxidant Activity and Preservative Effect of Thyme (Thymus schimperi R.) British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, ISSN: 2231-0843 , Vol. 3, Issue.: 4

Gemedo D, Brigitte  L,  Maass,  Johannes  I. 2005 Plant biodiversity and ethnobotany of Borana pastoralists in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia. Economic Botany 59, 43–65.

Goettsch E. 1991. Spice germplasm in Ethiopia. In: Engels JMM, Hawkes JG, Worede M, eds. Plant Genetic Resources of Ethiopia. New York: Cambridge University Press;1991; 125 p.

Habtamu Hailu. 2008.Home-Gardens And Agrobiodiversity Conservation In Sabata Town, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. M.Sc Thesis, Addis Ababa University, 2008.

Hammer K, Mbewe DN. 1994. The role of traditional knowledge in germplasm collecting. Pages 147-155 in A. Putter, ed., Safeguarding the genetic basis of Africa’s traditional crops: Proceedings of ACTA/IPGRI/CARI/UNEP Seminar, Nairobi, Kenya

Harlan JR. 1975 Crops and Man, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Madison, 295 p.

Hildebrand E. 2003. Motives and opportunities for domestication: an ethnoarchaeological study in southwest Ethiopia. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 22(4), 358-375.

Hoogerbrugge ID, Fresco LO. 1993. Homegarden Systems: Agricultural Characteristics and Challenges. International Institute For Environment and Development (IIED).

Hoyyeepoo K. 1990. Promoting native edible plants for home gardens in Northern Thailand. In: Tropical home gardens, pp. 115-118 (Landauer, K.and Brazil, M., eds.). United Nations University Press, Tokyo.

Huffnagel HP. 1961 Agriculture in Ethiopia, FAO, Rome. 4.

Innerhofer S, Bernhardt KG. 2011. Ethnobotanic garden design in the Ecuadorian Amazon Biodiversity Conservation. 20(2), 429-439.

Inga Hedberg, Ensermu Kelbessa, Sue Edwards, Sebsebe Demissew, Eva Persson, 2006. Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Vol.5. Gentianaceae to Cyclocheilaceae. Addis Ababa ,Ethiopia, & Uppsala Sweden.

IUCN. 2012. WCC-2012-Res-092-EN Promoting and supporting community resource management and conservation as a foundation for sustainable development (https://portals.iucn.org/)

IPCC ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) ( 2007). Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change, 2007.

Jansen PCM. 1981. Spices, Condiments and Medicinal Plants in Ethiopia, their Taxonomy and Agricultural Significance. Wageningan:PUDOC;1981; 1-132 p.

Karyono. 2000.Traditional Homegarden And Its Transforming Trend. Jurnal Bionatura, Vol. 2, No. 3, 117-124.

Mekonnen Amberber, Mekuria Argaw and Zemede Asfaw 2014. The role of homegardens for in situ conservation of plant biodiversity in Holeta Town, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation. 6(1), 8-16p.

Mengistu F, Hager H. 2008. Wild Edible Fruit Species Cultural Domain, Informant Species Competence and Preference in Three Districts of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 2008, 6, 487-50.

Miller AJ, Gross BL, 2011. From Forest To Field: Perennial Fruit Crop Domestication. American Journal of Botany 98(9), 1389–1414.

Millat-e-Mustafa M. 1997. Overview of research in home garden systems. In: Applied ethnobotany in natural resource management, 13-38 p (Rastogi, A., Godble, A. and Shengji, P., eds.). International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal.

Moa Megersa. 2010. Ethnobotanical Study of Medi cinal Plants in Wayu Tuka Wereda, East Wollega Zon e of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. M.Sc Thesis. Addis Ababa University . Ethiopia.

MoFED. 2007 Ministry of Finance and Economic Development .. PASDEP Annual Progress Report 2006/07 , Building on progress: A plan for accelerated and sustained development to end poverty (PASDEP 2005/06-2009/10).Addis Ababa.

Nair PK. 2001. Do tropical homegardens elude science, or is it the other way round? Agro forestry System 53: 239-245.

Okigbo NB. 1990. Home gardens in tropical Africa. In: Tropical home gardens, pp. 21-40 (Landauer, K. and Brazil, M., eds.). United Nations University Press, Tokyo.

Olika B. 2013. Contributions of Traditional Agroforestry system to local livelihood and to climate change impacts mitigation: perception of farming community; Maruf Kebele; Central Oromia.M.Sc. Thesis, Ambo University, Ethiopia.

Olika B, Zuberi MI. 2013 Impacts Of Climate Change On Small Holder Farmers : Case Of Maruf Kebele, Central Oromia, Ethiopia , paper presented in International Conference Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture, Ambo University,Ethiopia

Pichi-Sermolli REG. 1957. Una carta geobotanica dell’Africa Orientale (Eritrea. Ethiopia, Somalia). Webbia 13, 15–132 & 1 map.

Pickersgill B. 2007 . Domestication of plants in the Americas: Insights from Mendelian and molecular genetics. Annals of Botany 100, 925 – 940.

Purseglove JW. 1972. Tropical crops: Monocotyledons, Vol. 1 and 2. Longman, Singapore.

Rajasekaran B, Warren DM. 1994; IK for socioeconomic development and biodiversity conservation. The Kolli Hills. Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor 2(2), 13-17.

Rana RB, Joshi KD, Lohar DP. 1998. On-farm conservation of indigenous vegetables by strengthening community seed-based seed banking in Seti River Valley, Pokhara, Nepal. LIBIRD Technical Paper No 3. Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development, Pokhara, Nepal.

Richards P. 1989. Agriculture as a performance. In R. Chambers, A. Pacey and L. Thrupp (Eds.), Farmer First: Farmer Innovation and Agricultural Research. London: Intermediate Technology, 39-42p.

Richards P. 1993. Cultivation: knowledge or performance? In Hobart, M .(ed). An Anthropological Critique of Development: the Growth of Ignorance. London, Routledge, 61–78

Sileshi Bedasie Hirko. 2011. The Legal Protection of Geographical Indications in Ethiopia, Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC), Master Thesis (2010/11).

Shackleton S, Shanley P, Ndoye O. 2007. Invisible but viable: recognizing local markets for non-timber forest products. International Forestry Review 9(3), 697-713.

Shackleton S, Campbell B, Lotz-Sisitka H, Shackleton C, 2008. Links between the local trade in natural products, livelihoods and poverty alleviation in a semi-arid region of South Africa. World Development 36(3), 505-526.

Shrestha PK. 1998. Gene, gender, and generation: Role of traditional seed supply systems in on-farm biodiversity conservation in Nepal. In: Pratap T and Sthapit BR editors. Managing Agrobiodiversity: Farmers Changing Perspectives and Institutional Responses in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). Kathmandu Nepal, 143-152 p.

Shrestha PK, Gautam R, Rana RB, Sthapit BR. 2002. Home gardens in Nepal: status and scope for research and development. In: Watson JW and Eyzaguirre PB editors. Home gardens and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources in farming systems. Proceedings of the second international home garden workshop, 17-19 July, Witzenhasen, Germany. DSE/ZEL, GTZ, IPGRI.

Shrestha PK, Gautam R, Rana RB, Sthapit BR. 2004. Managing diversity in various ecosystems: home gardens of Nepal. In: Eyzaguirre, PB and OF Linares editors. Home gardens and agro-biodiversity. Smithsonian Books, Washington.

Soemarwoto O. 1987. Homegardens: a traditional agro forestry system with a promising future. In: Steppler HA and Nait PKR editors. Agro forestry: A Decade of Development, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya, pp 157-170.

Soemarwoto O, Conway GR. 1992. The Javanese homegarden. Journal for Farming Systems Research-Extension 2(3), 95-118.

StoneGD. 2004. Social constraints on crop biotechnology in developing countries. AgBioForum, 7(1&2), 76-79.

Stoian D, Donovan J, Fisk J, Muldoon M. 2012. Value Chain Development for Rural Poverty Reduction: A Reality Check and a Warning. Enterprise Development and Microfinance 23(1), 54-69.

Stoian D. 2005. Making the Best of Two Worlds: Rural and Peri-urban Livelihood Options Sustained by Non-timber Forest Products from the Bolivian Amazon. World Development 33(9), 1473-1490.

Subedi A, Gautam R, Suwal R, Shrestha PK, Sthapit BR. 2004. Plant diversity in home gardens in Nepal. Paper presented at the Second National Sharing and Learning Workshop of Home gardens in Pokhara Nepal, 6-7 August 2004. LI-BIRD, Nepal.

Sunwar S. 2003. Home gardens in western Nepal: opportunities and challenges for on-farm management of agrobiodiversity. Masters in Science in Biology (Biodiversity) Thesis. Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM), Swedish Agriculture University and Uppsala University, Sweden.

Tadesse M. 1991. Some endemic plants of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Tourism Commission; 1991. 7-9.

Tadesse M. 1994. History of Botanical Explorations in Ethiopia. In: Lapage C, ed. Études éthiopennes. vol 1, de la Société française pour les études éthiopiennes;1994; 530-40 p.

Talemos Seta. 2007. Diversity in Ensete-Based Homegardens and Its Significance to Household Supply in Welayita (Southern Ethiopia): An Ethnobotanic Approach. M. Sc. Thesis, Addis Ababa University, p. 105.

Tapia ME, De La Torre A. 1998 Women Farmers and Andean Seeds, FAO-IPGRI, Rome.

Tesfaye Awas, Sebsebe Demissew. 2009. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Kafficho people, southwestern Ethiopia . In: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, ed. by Svein Ege, Harald Aspen, Birhanu Teferra and Shiferaw Bekele, Trondheim 2009.

Tewolde Berhan. 1991. The Ethiopian Flora Project. SAREC (Stockholm).

Thulin M. 1983. Leguminosae in Ethiopia. Opera Botanica 68:92-223.

Tilaye Bekele. 2010. Smallholders’ involvement in commercial agriculture / horticulture. AAACP-funded series of high value AgricultureSeminars, EHPEA.

Treweek JR, Brown C, Bubb P. 2006 Assessing biodiversity impacts of trade. Impact Assess Project Appraisal 2, 299–309

Trinh LN, Watson J W, Hue NN, De NN, Minh NV, Chu P, Sthapit BR, Eyzaguirre PB. 2003. Agrobiodiversity conservation and development in Vietnamese home gardens. Agriculture Ecosystem and Environments, 1-28 p .

Vogl-Lukasser B, Vogl CR, Bolha´r-Nordenkampf H. 2002. The composition of Home gardens on small peasant farms in the alpine regions of Osttirol (Austria) and their role in sustainable rural development. In: Stepp, J.R., Wyndham, F.S., and R.K Zarger editors Ethnobotany and Biocultural Diversity. University of Georgia Press; Athens, Georgia, USA

Vorley B, del Pozo-Vergnes E, Barnett A. 2012. Small producer agency in the globalised market: making choices in a changing world.Hivos: Mainumby and IIED: London.

WTO. (World Trade Organization). 2008. URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENT: TRIPS; Part II Standards concerning the availability, scope and use of Intellectual Property Rights; Article 22 Protection of Geographical Indications.

WWF. 1990. The wild supermarket. The World Wide Fund for Nature International, Gland, Switzerland

Zemede Asfaw. 2001a. The role of home gardens in the production and conservation of medicinal plants. In: Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in Ethiopia, 76-91 p. (Medhin Zewdu and Abebe Demissie, eds.). Proceedings of the National Workshop on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants in Ethiopia. 28 April – 1 May, 1998. Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Zemede Asfaw. 2001b. Origin and evolution of rural home gardens in Ethiopia. In: Biodiversity research in the horn of Africa region, pp. 273-286 (I. Friis and O. Ryding, eds.). Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea at the Carlsberg Academy, August 25-27, 1999. Copenhagen.

Zemede Asfaw, Ayele Nigatu. 1995. Home gardens in Ethiopia: Characteristics and plant diversity. SINET: Ethiop. J. Sci. 18(2), 235-266.

Zemede Asfaw, Mesfin Tadesse. 2001 Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany 55, 47–62.

Zuberi MI. 2012 Use of wild food plants in Ethiopia: can traditional practices be sustainable? IUCN SULi News.

Zuberi  MI,  Birhanu  Kebede,  Teklu  Gosaye. 2013. An assessment of trade of homestead based herbalplants in the local market of Ambo for poverty alleviation and sustainable use. Proceeding 1st Annual Research Conference. Ambo University, Ethiopia.