Zinder Niger: Zinder Faiza Habou, a 17-year-old secondary school student from Zinder, Niger’s second largest city, and her mother make a career by cracking nuts and pounding wild fruits under contract for Sahara Sahel Foods.

“These fruits were a delicacy when I was growing up in the village.” “Until 2014, my mother worked as a housekeeper to feed and educate our family of 12 children,” Habou explained to Africa Climate Conversations. “By cracking the wild fruits, we were able to attend school and afford daily bread.” I hope to become a judge someday.”

Habou is one of 1500 rural smallholder farmers from 70 villages in south-central and southern-eastern Niger, with 80% of them being women and youth. Sahara Sahel Foods has contracted them to gather or crack wild fruits.

According to Josef Garvi, the executive director of Sahara Sahel Foods, Sahara Sahel Foods has manufactured 60 food products based on 19 different natural tree species. Tamarind, hamza, marula, jujube, desert dates, baobab, Sahel raisin, Christ thorn, Doum palm fruits and black prune are among the fruit plants.

The processed edible fruits and powder are sold in Niger’s supermarkets; some are transported to neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso, while desert date oil is shipped to the United Kingdom.

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Sahara Sahel Foods collaborates with Earth research centre Rewild to teach fruit collectors in tree propagation techniques.

According to Garvi, the reform of forestry and agroforestry legislation to recognise farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) has allowed farmers to own trees on their farms, encouraging them to grow trees alongside millet, sorghum, and groundnuts.

The International Food Policy Research Institute reports that over the last 25 years, the Niger Republic has repaired almost 10 million hectares of bare land.

According to Mieke Bourne, the World Agroforestry Organization’s Regreening Africa Programme Manager, producing value for food products increases the value of wild fruits, which is a catalyst for safeguarding these indigenous peoples’ environments.