Homegardens And Spices Of Basketo And Kafa (southwest Ethiopia) Plant Diversity Product Valorization And Implications To Biodiversity Conservation

Traditional agricultural landscapes support an important level of biological and culturalrndiversity. Significant components of such landscapes are homegardens which representrnsustainable farming systems. In this study, homegardens of Basketo Special Woreda andrnKafa Zone in the South Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) ofrnEthiopia, with a special emphasis on spice-yielding plants, have been investigated. Thernstudy aimed at understanding local peoples’ role in maintenance of biological resourcesrnand also the impact of ongoing homegarden related changes on the conservation ofrnbiological diversity. In the study, local resource perception, classification, management,rnand use norms were assessed; plant biological diversity at different levels of thernlandscape was measured; and also trends in the commercialization of local spices werernanalyzed. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, group discussions, gardenrntour, guided field walks and observation methods. Some of the data collected throughrninterviews were analyzed using preference ranking and paired comparison.rnMeasurements on quantitative traits of kororima (Aframomum corrorima) were made;rnbiological diversity at garden section, whole garden and landscape levels were evaluatedrnusing different diversity measurement indices. Laboratory studies were conducted torndetermine chemical compositions of kororima seeds and kororima growing soils, andrnalso seed germination potential. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one wayrnanalysis of variance (ANOVA), independent sample T-test, and Pearson correlation.rnComputer programs SPSS, PAST and R were used for data analysis. A total of 280rnspecies were recorded from the managed landscapes of the two areas. Infraspecificrndiversity was recorded in a number of crop plants with enset (Ensete ventricosum)rnexhibiting the maximum number of local varieties/clones (26 in Basketo and 70 in Kafa).rnExistence of local worldview related resource use norm, elaborate and adaptive resourcernmanagement, and well developed classification systems which take different forms arernalso observed.rnThe homegardens of Basketo and Kafa, beyond their role as the main source ofrnhousehold subsistence, serve as central element around which other components of thelandscape are organized. Biodiversity is cultivated in these farming units as a result of thernframers’ innate perception of the values of biodiversity and also the characteristicrnorganization of the gardens that promoted concentration of plant diversity. Spice-yieldingrnplants, whose products are of major importance for household consumption andrncommercial exchange, constitute vital components of the gardens. Twenty four species ofrnspice-yielding plants are encountered in each of the study areas and these account forrn16.11% and 12.44% of total species composition of Basketo and Kafa gardensrnrespectively. Although local spices are used for both household consumption and incomerngeneration, correlation analysis indicated that spice-yielding plants are raised in therngarden primarily for household use. However, as the current trend shows, spices arernincreasingly becoming market-oriented with kororima (Aframomum corrorima) being thernmost-commercialized of all the spices produced in the two areas. Kororima, anrnindigenous spice which has been traded for long, is of major importance in terms ofrnsocio-economic and ecological perspectives. Currently, homegardens are undergoing anrnunusual dynamics because of agricultural development intervention activities and alsornmarket driven factors. Some crops like coffee (Coffea arabica) which bring betterrneconomic return are expanding at the expense of enset that forms the basic element of therngarden and other indigenous crops. Drastic alteration of these crop production units couldrnlead to unwanted impacts including disruption of local livelihoods and seriousrndeterioration of biological diversity. Valorization of spices and other products originatingrnfrom the homegardens, by securing better financial benefits to farmers, can aid in slowingrndown the rate of change thereby contributing to the maintenance of the agro-ecosystemsrnand the interlinked components of the local environment.rnKeywords: homegardens, spices-yielding plants, kororima, valorization, biodiversity,rnemic categorization, Basketo, Kafa

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