Baobab
The baobab tree is found across sub-Saharan Africa and is primarily used internationally in food, drinks, and cosmetics. It presents an excellent opportunity to support development, female empowerment, and conservation efforts in some of the poorest countries in the world if sourced responsibly.
Names
Baobab, Adansonia digitata*
Found in ingredients as
Baobab
Used in
Top producers
South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Zimbabwe
Conservation status
IUCN Red List:
CITES:
Not listed
*Note: Although there are multiple species of baobab, this profile relates only to A. digitata, which is native to mainland Africa and is the most widespread there.
Opportunities
A baobab fruit
Conservation & Restoration
The baobab tree is interwoven with its habitat and its conservation would benefit many other species, such as the African Elephant Loxodonta africana – for example, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area overlaps with baobab’s range and is a critical elephant migration route. Baobab protection and restoration can also produce socioeconomic benefits: in Ghana and Burkina Faso, baobab planting occurs to support women's livelihoods in the dry season and contribute to the Great Green Wall Project, which aims to restore 1 million km2 of degraded land and halt the expansion of the Sahara desert by 2030.
Partnerships & Associations
Worker unions and initiatives can be supported to further development and female empowerment efforts, where they exist. The African Baobab Alliance is the main industry association. They work on regulations, supporting the harvesters and promoting baobab on different markets. See http://africanbaobaballiance.org/
Standards & Certification
Certifications can be a supporting tool to ensure responsible sourcing. A wide range of standards are available that can be applied to wild-harvested plants, such as FairWild, Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), Fairtrade, FairForLife, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and Certificate of Origin (e.g. DOP/PDO, PGI, TCG). Specific to baobab, FairWild certified baobab is available.
Biological Risk
Trees tend to grow as solitary individuals, meaning that populations are scattered thinly across the species’ range.
The species has multiple uses and trade is increasing.
The species' conservation status has not yet been evaluated on a global scale.
Its reproduction relies on pollinators (mainly bats, flies, moths, and the bush baby lemur). Fruit harvesting impacts dispersal and establishment of seedlings, while leaf harvesting can cause damage that reduces the number of fruits per tree.
It faces a single major threat across its range: land-use changes of a growing rural population. Additional threats, such as changes in hydrology in Zimbabwe, may be faced locally.
Social Risk
Assessed for South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.
With baobab harvesting often being a family activity, and countries assessed having documented cases of child labour in other agricultural commodities, there is a high risk of child labour occurring.
There are health & safety considerations when harvesters need to walk long distances to access baobab trees, or if trees are climbed to harvest fruits.
In some cases where baobab trees are located on private land, there can be access rights issues and potential for discrimination.
There is additional risk in Zimbabwe due to allegations of violation of workers' right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, with reports by trade union organisations of violence against participants in general strikes and former union leaders being prosecuted and receiving violent threats.