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Utilization of durum wheat landraces in East Shewa, central Ethiopia: Are home uses an incentive for on-farm conservation?

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Abstract

The study was conducted in East Shewa, central Ethiopia, where durum wheat landraces were once popular, but were displaced and re-introduced. Combinations of survey techniques are employed to document the different home uses of durum wheat landraces and to assess whether these serve as an incentive to on-farm conservation. The findings reveal that wheat landraces have multiple dietary and sociocultural uses that contribute to the maintenance of landraces on-farm. Temporal analysis of historical information showed that (1) richness in food traditions is associated with a high level of landrace diversity on-farm; (2) food traditions in East Shewa did not change radically as a result of the integration of farmers into the market economy; and (3) farm households still have an appreciation of, and a preference for, the home-use related qualities of the landraces, this despite their long term disappearance and the subsequent availability of several improved wheat varieties. The study illustrates the relationship between the local availability of landrace wheats and their on-farm survival. The home uses of landraces plays an instrumental role in the promotion of on-farm (in situ) conservation. Augmenting conservation activities with non-breeding approaches (e.g., awareness-creation) would support the survival of wheat landraces for the foreseeable future.

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Acknowledgments

This research study was jointly funded by a fellowship grant from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund and the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation through the “Dynamic Farmer-based Approach to the Conservation of Ethiopia’s Plant Genetic Resources” project, supported by the Global Environment Facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway

    Bayush Tsegaye & Trygve Berg

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  1. Bayush Tsegaye
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  2. Trygve Berg
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Correspondence to Bayush Tsegaye.

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Bayush Tsegaye (PhD) is a graduate from Noragric – the Department of International Environment and Development Studies, of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Prior to joining the University, she was engaged in various development programs in Ethiopia affiliated with government institutions as well as national and international non-governmental organizations. Her research interests include community management of plant genetic resources, food security, and gender issues.

Trygve Berg is an Associate Professor at Noragric – the Department of International Environment and Development Studies, of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. His research interests focus on the management of plant genetic resources and participatory plant breeding.

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Tsegaye, B., Berg, T. Utilization of durum wheat landraces in East Shewa, central Ethiopia: Are home uses an incentive for on-farm conservation?. Agric Hum Values 24, 219–230 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-006-9055-8

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