Testing the Baobab’s Mettle: An Evaluation of the Sustainability and Economic Potential of Harvesting Adansonia digitata

TL;DRAbstract

In light of southern Africa’s growing population and economy, as well as the increasing international market for Adansonia digitata products, it seems important to ascertain whether or not rural baobab harvesting is having an impact on the health of the trees and whether it could be improved or expanded to increase benefits to communities. This study focused on 72 trees in and around the village of Gweta, Botswana, examining local usage and harvesting practices and exploring their correlations with the health of the trees. Results suggest that baobab harvesting in its current form is detrimental to the trees’ health and may not be sustainable in the long term, given Botswana’s rapid population growth. Human usage was linked to increased branch loss and to the severity of infection by rot fungi. However, recovery from these effects seems possible with time, meaning that altering harvesting practices and techniques could result in a marked improvement in both the trees’ health and their

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