Food banks and technology parks

Abstract

The indigenous fruit and vegetable trees of Mali in the Drylands of the West African Sahel grow in varied but well adapted environments. The highly diverse indigenous trees are year-round sources of food and nutrition security. Their tolerance against climate extremes and disasters also enhances Mali’s resilience against Climate Change. Research undertaken by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) found that the inadequate availability of good quality plant material and limitations in harvesting, processing and conservation technologies was one of the reasons behind the lack of adoption and cultivation of indigenous fruit and vegetable trees in the area.