At the time when impacts of climate change are experienced, agricultural production should be evidence-based (science informed) and research is compulsory.
Several institutions in Botswana, have been set up to ensure that research pathways, up to the end product; are achieved. These include Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory (BNVL) Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) as well as National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC).
In the recent years, precisely 2017, an outstanding research was done by the Department of Food Science and technology at BUAN. Titled; “Cultivation, value addition and marketing of climate smart emerging crops to improve food security in Botswana”; its objectives included production of emerging crops in Botswana. Primarily, through the project; the research team would identify and select desirable traits of Morama (Tylosema esculantum) Kgengwe (Ciltrullus lunatus) Mungongo (Schiziophyton rautenenii) and Mogose (Baiuhian petersiana) for cultivation (genetics breeding).
The establishment of quality evaluation of raw and value added oilseed products in Botswana as the same plants also grow in other Southern African countries. Then they would profile the nutritional and phytochemical composition of the same products. It was funded by Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL). This is a joint initiative of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Germany in response to the challenges of global change.
The team’s leader, Dr. Rosemary Kodue-Lekalake said in an interview then that other objectives included capacity building and policy development in Botswana; under which they aimed to build capacity of farmers and agribusinesses in the cultivation, processing and marketing of indigenous foods. The team also endeavored to;” Provide marketing and business training, networking and mentoring support for the development of agribusinesses, particularly female-owned enterprises. To develop evidence based policy recommendations that could support production and value addition of emerging crops.”
To ensure dissemination of the research team’s findings and capacity building of beneficiaries, for involvement and ownership of the research, capacity building workshops were conducted at villages where particular crops grew and residents were familiar with the same. All the workshops were well attended. For Ciltrullus lunatus the workshop was held at Kaudwane village near the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR). The area is more than 200 kilometers west of the capital Gaborone.
For Tylosema esculantum and Baiuhian petersiana the workshop was held in Malwelwe village, in Kweneng West, some 150 kilometers west of the capital Gaborone. For Schiziophyton rautenenii the workshop was held at Shaikarawe in North West of Botswana about 15 kilometers from Shakawe and much closer to the Botswana/ Namibia border.
The research established that all the four crops are good sources of protein and fat for communities that consume them. That Tylosema esculantum and Schiziophyton rautenenii content of protein and fat are similar to those of soy bean and peanut. That Baiuhian petersiana is used by communities as a nutrition supplement given to children, the elderly and patients without appetite. It supplements the diet with protein and fat. And that Ciltrullus lunatus seeds have the lowest content of protein and fat and is eaten as a snack.
As for what might change as a result of their research, Dr. Lekalake underpinned; “The national and regional economies will be diversified. This will contribute to: combating desertification nationally and regionally, on-farm biological diversity conservation, climate change mitigation, rural industries development.
Furthermore, communities will be food and nutrition secure. Policy on new crops will be formulated and guidelines developed. Diversification of crop base in Botswana will increase number of conventional crops.
The beneficiaries were ultimately sent to NFTRC for further training and were awarded certificates. “Those young people who are interested in taking up the technology at different stages of the value chain will be trained in the respective areas of their interest For example, some are interested in cultivating the plant; others want to make perfumes and lotions from the oil; others want to extract the oil and sell it; others are interested in the instant porridge,” said Dr. Lekalake.
Fast forward, six years down the line, Dr. Lekalake who is still with BUAN revealed that they have secured more funds to continue where they ended.
Contacted for comment recently, Kgosi (Chief) Ponda Mahindi of Shaikarawe, whose community members are beneficiaries in the project revealed that there is progress in his village.
“There now is a site as you enter the village, where a magnificent building has been built. We were recently called to witness how in that house, there is machine which presses Mongongo fruits to produce oil. More are still coming and we are impressed as life is changing,” he said with excited voice.
The three institutions- DAR, NFTRC and BNVL have been merged and are called National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI). Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Professor Julius Atlhopheng said his insitution has improved utilization of natural products and agricultural resources, as one of its impact areas. “Thus the Institute, undertakes research, development and technology transfer for beneficiation and commercialization of resources. This enhances the agricultural value chains to benefit communities, industry and science. Thus, the agricultural value chain will cover the utilization of neglected and underutilized species (NUS),” he said. He added that domestication trials of selected indigenous tea (Lengana, Mosukujane, Morama bean and Kgengwe) are currently on-going at the Department of Field Crops and Horticulture.
