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 Printable version |
Socio‐economic utilisation of
Pentadesma butyracea Sabine and its sustainability in the gallery forest of Benin |
Cahiers Agricultures. Volume 12, Number 2, 75-9, Mars-Avril 2003, Étude originale
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Brice Sinsin, Théophile A. Sinadouwirou |
Summary :
Pentadesma butyracea is a multipurpose species of rain forests, found in gallery forests and in banks of rivers of Benin. Its socio‐economic utilisation and its sustainability are studied in the Bassila region. Its main product is butter. Depending on ethnic groups, different local names are used for the
Pentadesma tree and its butter. Butter is extracted from almonds by traditional techniques, women being mainly concerned with its trade in the Bassila region. The trade of almonds is local, whereas that of butter is regional. The Fulani ethnic group is the principal purchaser of almonds and saleswomen of the butter. People use
Pentadesma butter instead of
Vitellaria paradoxa as food oil in case the latter is scarce or for particular needs such as medicinal plant use. Apart from the utilisation of the butter as food,
P. butyracea offers many other products such as pharmaceuticals products and timber. The socio‐economic value of
P. butyracea is very important in the Bassila region, but unfortunately its availability is decreasing from one generation to the other. To protect rivers and gallery forests in the study area conservation of
Pentadesma is required through the protection of its seedling recruitments, and by controlling its seed collection. Improving the processing of
Pentadesma almonds, and its butter trade could give more value to this endangered tree to better protect gallery forests. |
Keywords : Economy\; Rural sociology\; Vegetal production. |
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