ASSESSMENT OF FARMER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CULINARY USES OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM. LEAVES IN BASSITENGA PROVINCE OF BURKINA FASO
- Les Cahiers du Centre Africain de Recherche Scientifique, d'Innovation et de Formation (CARESFI) , (3) : 61-80
Résumé
The major contribution of leafy vegetables to dietary habits and traditional African medicine has prompted investigations into Moringa oleifera, whose uses remain largely based on empirical knowledge. A distinctive feature of this plant is that all its parts are used either in human nutrition or in traditional medicine. However, very few studies have addressed the culinary potential of this species. The objective of this study was to document cultivation practices as well as the culinary potential of M. oleifera leaves. To this end, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Bassitenga Province, Burkina Faso. A total of 240 individuals, including 57.55% women and 42.45% men, were purposively selected and interviewed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by calculating frequencies, which were then used to construct graphs.
The results showed that 87.35% of respondents were familiar with moringa, including 40.65% men and 59.35% women. The findings also revealed that most producers practiced intensive cultivation (85.70%), compared with 8.14% who practiced extensive cultivation and 6.16% who adopted agroforestry systems. The results highlighted the extensive use of moringa in both human nutrition and traditional medicine. In total, nineteen (19) moringa-based dishes were identified, with an average of two dishes per household. Leaves were the most frequently used plant organs (62.71%) for both food and therapeutic purposes, followed by seeds (20.34%), which were generally used for therapeutic purposes, particularly against diabetes, hypertension, and abdominal pain. These findings provide a basis for further studies aimed at assessing the nutritional and medicinal potential of this plant in other localities of Burkina Faso, with a view to promoting its valorization.
Mots-clés
M. oleifera Lam., ethnobotany, cultivation practices, food valorization, Burkina Faso.