Integral and sustainable community self-management of the native fruit trees of Munhiba, Mozambique

Abstract

With the aim of propose lines of work for the community’s appropriate self-management of the native fruit trees in Munhiba, province of Zambézia (Mozambique), it was carried out a study of the perception of the local actors about the causes of deterioration of the fruit trees, as well as their economic, social, and environmental importance. It was used intentional sampling by selecting 118 local actors. In order to develop a Participatory Rapid Diagnosis, exchange workshops and field visits were also performed to identify the fruit species and their use. For the information gathering, semi-structured interviews were applied together with the use of simple and participant observation. Frequency and correlation of variables (Rho of Spearman) were developed for data processing. Among the most important results, it was found the botanical classification of the fruit species, the perception of the local actors about the economic, social, and environmental importance as well as causes of deterioration, identification of strengths and weaknesses for the management of the native fruit trees and a proposal of work lines for their self-management. Despite the potential of native fruit trees in the territory of study, it was not appreciated yet proper management due to the lack of knowledge of the production process that could lead to the progressive deterioration of the species and the ecosystem where they inhabit.