Economics of indigenous fruit tree crops in Zimbabwe [Elektronische Ressource] / von Dagmar Mithöfer

Dagmar Mithoefer

Informations

• Publié par: gottfried_wilhelm_leibniz_universitat_hannover
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 23
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Economics of Indigenous Fruit Tree Crops
in Zimbabwe

Von dem Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften der Universität Hannover
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades


Doktorin der Wirtschaftswissenschaften
− Doctor rer. pol. −


genehmigte Dissertation von:




Dipl.-Ing. agr. Dagmar Mithöfer
geboren am 10.03.1972 in Remscheid




2005



















Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Hermann Waibel
Lehrstuhl Entwicklungs- und Agrarökonomik
Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften der Universität
Hannover
Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Löffler
Lehrstuhl Banken und Finanzierung
Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften der Universität
Hannover
Tag der Promotion: 21.12.2004
iii
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the many individuals who have contributed to this study. Most
importantly, the farmers of Ward 16, Murehwa District and Takawira Resettlement
Area, who took great interest in the study, shared their knowledge and patiently
answered many questions. Their hospitality made me feel at home and made for a
memorable time. Without them, this study would not have been possible. I would
also like to extend my thanks to my field assistants Gamuchirai Mazana, Virginia
Mandikisi, Portia Diza, Nikiwe Soka, Exevier Sambureni, Gaudencia Mangiroza,
Munyaradzi Magwaza and Isaac Gurambwa for their dedication and interest in the
work. I am grateful for the assistance of the AGRITEX staff members in Murehwa and
Mvuma, who facilitated this survey. My appreciation also goes to Dumizani Siziba
and Svenja Küntzel, who entered data.
At ICRAF, I would like to thank Dr. Elias Ayuk and all the other staff members for
providing scientific advice, knowledge of indigenous fruits and the Zimbabwean
small-scale farming system, and technical support during the fieldwork. “Life is never
easy” − but with their assistance, fieldwork continued even during the diesel
shortages in the beginning of 2000. I am very grateful for the valuable comments of
Dr. Festus Akinnifesi, Dr. Freddie Kwesiga, Irene Kadzere and Jarret Mhango on my
research.
At Hannover University, I am indebted to my colleagues for their constant support as
well as their valuable advice and cheerful comments whenever required. Most
importantly, I would like to thank my advisor, Prof. Dr. Hermann Waibel, who gave
me the opportunity for this research and provided valuable comments and ideas
throughout the project. I am very grateful for the opportunities to present parts of the
research at several conferences, from which I benefited greatly. I highly appreciate Dr.
Justus Wesseler’s (Wageningen University) interest in the study – thank you very
much!
I gratefully acknowledge financial support by ICRAF and the German
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ) as well as the
University of Hannover. I am also thankful for the financial support from the WIMEK iv
programme of Wageningen University for two research visits to the Environmental
Economics and Natural Resources Group.
A big thank you to my friends from Central Baptist Church in Harare, who gave me a
home and shared their everyday life. I am indebted to my friend and colleague Tunu
Ramadhani, who helped me to understand many cultural aspects of life there. Lastly,
I would like to thank my husband Klaus, my family and friends for their moral
support. They enriched my life during all phases of the dissertation with their
patience, humour, advice and diversion.

Dagmar Mithöfer
Hannover, September 2004


v
Abstract
Poverty is a common problem in the rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Rural
households frequently rely on indigenous fruits (IF) and other wild food resources
during times of food and income shortages in order to supplement their nutrition and
income. However, the availability of indigenous fruit tree products is declining as a
result of deforestation. In order to conserve biodiversity, the Domestication of
Indigenous Fruit Trees Programme of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF,
formerly the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry) aims to increase farm
household income through farmer-led indigenous fruit tree planting. Lack of
quantitative data hampers the progress of the programme insofar as the role of
indigenous fruit tree products in the rural household economy is not clear.
This study is part of ICRAF’s ‘Domestication Programme’. Its objective is to fill in
some of the knowledge gaps. Specifically, this study assesses the contribution of
indigenous fruit trees towards rural incomes and reduction of (seasonal) vulnerability
to poverty. It further assesses the degree to which indigenous fruit trees have to be
improved or the natural resource base has to decline so that on-farm planting is
rendered economically attractive.
Data were collected by means of farm household surveys in two locations of
Zimbabwe from August 1999 to September 2000. Data collection consisted of monthly
household monitoring of income, expenditure and labour data of 39 households and a
random sample of 303 households to determine factors that are related to indigenous
fruit use. Additionally, farmer workshops were conducted to gather general
information and biophysical data of the indigenous fruit tree species. Surveys targeted
the three most popular indigenous fruit tree species as previously determined by
ICRAF.
Results indicate that the majority of rural households benefit from consumption and
sale of IF, although the extent varies amongst households. Within the household,
children are the main consumers of the fruits. Marketing of IF is carried out by
women, who use the receipts to purchase household goods. While Uapaca kirkiana
fruits are more important in generating cash income than others, fruits of Parinari vi
curatellifolia are more important for home consumption during food shortages. The
gross margins from collection of IF are lower than from livestock and crop
production. However, returns to labour from collection and use of IFT products are
considerably greater than from other activities including gardening and livestock-
rearing, indicating that collection of IF is an efficient labour allocation strategy.
Vulnerability to poverty is assessed by means of a stochastic simulation model of
monthly household income in the course of the year. Results show that vulnerability
to income poverty is very high amongst rural households and is subject to seasonal
fluctuations. Vulnerability is highest during the critical period of the year, i. e.
between August and January, when IF are available. The income surplus that is
carried over from the previous cropping season and also the degree to which
indigenous fruits are used/are available for income smoothing determine
vulnerability to poverty. As expected, the higher the availability of IF, the lower the
vulnerability to income poverty. During August to January, the critical period of the
year, indigenous fruits can reduce the probability of falling below the income
threshold by up to 30%, depending on their availability. Although indigenous fruits
contribute to reduction of vulnerability, other sources of income show higher
influence on the household income. The highest influence stems from production of
agricultural crops, which contribute a major share towards rural incomes. Overall,
collection of IF constitutes an income source that can easily be accessed in times of
need in order to bridge income and food shortages.
Planting of domesticated indigenous fruit trees (IFT) is characterised by uncertainty,
irreversibility and flexibility. Thus, timing of investment is crucial for maximising
household net income. The critical value of an investment in planting IFT is derived
using the real options approach to investment analysis. The risk-adjusted rate of
return is endogenously determined via the Capital Asset Pricing Model. Its estimation
is based on the portfolio of the different sources of farm household income. Results
show that currently, collecting fruits and other products of IFT from the commons is
more profitable than planting the trees. A combination of technical change and
decreasing resource abundance provides scope for farmer-led planting of
domesticated IFT and thus biodiversity conservation. However, breeding progress vii
must be significant for investment in farmer-led tree planting to be economically
attractive and thus contribute to on-farm preservation of the IFT.
The key conclusions for policy advice and further research are to assess whether tree
improvements that are necessary to initiate investment are technically feasible.
Furthermore, the alternative to on-farm planting, indigenous fruit tree conservation in
their natural habitat, needs to be economically assessed. Finally, further research that
takes into account spatial aspects of indigenous fruit tree abundance should be
conducted. Based on this information, most promising areas for farmer-led tree
planting could be identified. This especi