Views of preventing borassus aethiopum from extinction among four Communities in Ghana

Abstract

An investigation into how Borassus aethiopum might be prevented from extinction among farmers was carried out in four communities (Fiaso, Oforikrom, Nyamebekyere and Bayerenkwanta) in the transitional vegetation zone of Ghana, from April 2013 to July 2013. The farmers were randomly selected from the communities. Data were collected from the farmers using questionnaire supplemented with interviews. In addition to the crops grown for food, farmers also obtained food from the wild/non domesticated plants of which Borassus aethiopum was one. Farmers also used Borassus aethiopum, as a timber source, for the production of wine, for roofing and for making fan, as fire wood and as a medicinal plant. No education had been received on the plant or even on any other non domesticated plant. All the farmers agreed that the plant should be preserved, however, only few (Fiaso – 44%; Oforikrom – 48%; Nyamebekyere – 40%; Bayerenkwanta – 20%) had some ideas on how the plant might be preserved. The few farmers considered cultivation (Fiaso – 40%; Oforikrom – 33%; Nyamebekyere – 50%; Bayerenkwanta – 60%) as a means of preventing the extinction of the plant. Other preservation methods were; prevention of bush burning and indiscriminate felling of the tree, and enacting laws on the usage of the plant. It was recommended that all communities with the support of governments should create community forest reserves/parks made up Borassus aethiopum/non domesticated plant food species, and also enact laws to preserve these plants. Keywords: Borassus aethiopum, extinction, preservation