BRIEFING DOCUMENT

Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.)

Fruit Pulp Powder

Production Capacity and Sustainability in Southern Africa

Prepared by:
PhytoTrade Africa

Unit W215, Holywell Centre, 1 Phipp Street, London EC2A 4PS

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

1. Summary

♦ The population of wild baobab across Southern Africa is estimated at 28 million

trees.

♦ This equates to a potential sustainable annual yield of 673,000 tonnes of whole

baobab fruit and 108,000 tonnes of baobab fruit pulp powder.

♦ Immediate production capacity from Afriplex/PhytoTrade Africa members is 150

tonnes of baobab fruit pulp powder in the next 12 months, increasing to 500+
tonnes in years two and three.

♦ Customers sourcing baobab fruit pulp from Afriplex/PhytoTrade Africa members

will have access to a large and reliable supply base and be assured of rigorous
quality control.

♦ PhytoTrade Africa members adhere to best practice standards for baobab

harvest and production, including effective resource management and
regeneration.

♦ Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is not listed as an endangered species on the

IUCN Red List.

♦ Wild-harvested baobab fruit is naturally organic, since the trees have not been
treated with any fertilisers or pesticides. EcoCert organic certification of
Afriplex/PhytoTrade Africa’s key producer is expected imminently.

♦ Wild baobab in Southern Africa is abundant and long lived and faces no
significant sustainability issues in the short to medium term even with a rapid
increase in global demand. Baobab supply in some other areas of Africa,
however, faces more pressing sustainability challenges.

♦ In the current absence of internationally-recognised Fairtrade standards for

baobab, PhytoTrade Africa implements its own rigorous fair trade and
sustainability charter.

♦ PhytoTrade Africa’s mission is to develop long term sustainable trade that

delivers on-going economic benefit to poor rural communities. The organisation
has impeccable environmental and ethical credentials.

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

2. Baobab Occurrence in Southern Africa

The Southern African indigenous

baobab population covers a land area
of approximately 93,000 km2 (over 9m
hectares) in eight countries.
PhytoTrade Africa (The Southern
African Natural Products Trade
Association) currently represents
baobab producers in all but one of
these countries.

The largest areas of baobab

population are in Mozambique, South
Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Baobab
trees are found in mature woodlands
and savannah areas, thriving in areas
up to 1500m above sea level and with
an annual rainfall of between 300mm and 500mm. The map above illustrates the
densest areas of the wild baobab population in Southern Africa.

Table 1. Estimated occurrence of wild baobab in Southern Africa

Estimated Estimated land

Country Total land Areas of baobab baobab area with
area of occurrence coverage as % baobab
country of country’s population
(km2) total land area (km2)
Botswana 582,000 Hard country in north- 1 5,820
east, and north-west
Malawi 118,484 Shire Valley, Nsanje 10 11,848
Mozambique 801,590 By Lake Malawi, 5 40,080
Chupanga and
Magude, Cabo
Delgado and Nampula
provinces
Namibia 825,000 Northern Namibia 0.5 4,125
South Africa 1,233,404 Limpopo basin, 1 12,334
northern Zoutpansberg
Mountains, Transvaal
Zambia 752,615 Luangwa, Gwembe 1 7,526
Valley, Zambesi Valley
Zimbabwe 390,580 Zambesi Valley, Save 3 11,717
Valley, Limpopo basin
Total 4,703,673 93,450

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

3. Potential Production Capacity

3.1 Number of baobab trees in Southern Africa

Estimates of the maximum biological production capacity must be based on an

estimate of the total baobab population in Southern Africa.

For the purposes of this briefing paper, we have made calculations based on a
minimum density of one tree per hectare, medium density of three trees and a high
density of six trees.

This indicates that the likely minimum indigenous population of baobab in Southern
Africa is just over nine million trees, while the maximum population could be as high
as 56 million trees.

PhytoTrade Africa believes that the medium density figure (based on three trees per
hectare) is a reasonably conservative estimate and therefore an appropriate density
on which to base estimates of total production capacity. This puts the population of
baobab in Southern Africa at just over 28 million trees.

Table 2. Baobab tree density by region

Estimated trees at density per hectare

Country Estimated area
covered by
baobab 1 3 6
hectares
Botswana 582,000 582,000 1,746,000 3,492,000
Malawi 1,184,800 1,184,800 3,554,400 7,108,800
Mozambique 4,008,000 4,008,000 12,024,000 24,048,000
Nambia 412,500 412,500 1,237,500 2,475,000
South Africa 1,233,400 1,233,400 3,700,200 7,400,400
Zambia 752,600 752,600 2,257,800 4,515,600
Zimbabwe 1,171,700 1,171,700 3,515,100 7,030,200
Totals 9,345,000 9,345,000 28,035,000 56,070,000

3.2 Potential sustainable yield of baobab fruit

An average mature fruiting baobab produces around 200 kg of fruit per season,
allowing for variations in site conditions and genotypes. In order to take account of
annual fluctuations, we work on a lower average yield of 80kg of fruit per tree.

In addition, not every tree produces fruit every year. An assessment conducted at
four locations in Malawi indicates that approximately 40% of mature Baobab trees
produce a significant quantity of fruit in any given year.

We also need to assume that a maximum 70% of the crop from each tree is available
for fruit pulp production. The remaining 30% may be unavailable due to use by the
local population, consumption by animals, location inaccessibility or other reasons.

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

Taking all these factors into account, a realistic estimate of yield is 24kg of fruit per
tree. PhytoTrade Africa therefore estimates the total potential sustainable yield of
whole baobab fruit for commercial use in Southern Africa is between 224,000 tonnes
and 1,350,000 tonnes.

Working on our recommended estimated density of three baobab trees per hectare, it
is reasonable to assume a potential yield of whole fruit of just over 670,000 tonnes
per year.

Table 3. Potential sustainable baobab fruit yield by region, incorporating alternative

use margins and tree density.

Estimated yields at tree densities per hectare (Tonnes)

Country
1 3 6

Botswana 13,968 41,904 83,808

Malawi 28,435 85,306 170,611
Mozambique 96,192 288,576 577,152
Nambia 9,900 29,700 59,400
South Africa 29,602 88,805 177,610
Zambia 18,062 54,187 108,374
Zimbabwe 28,121 84,362 168,725
Totals 224,280 672,840 1,345,680

3.3 Potential sustainable yield of baobab fruit pulp powder

Phytotrade Africa’s own studies show the average weight of a baobab fruit is 200g
and the average quantity of fruit pulp is 35g per fruit.

Based on this, Southern Africa has the potential to produce between 36,000 and
215,000 tonnes of baobab fruit pulp powder per year. Working on a density of three
baobab trees per hectare, PhytoTrade Africa estimates the potential sustainable yield
to be 108,000 tonnes.

Table 4. Baobab fruit pulp yield by region, incorporating tree density.

Estimated yields at tree densities per hectare (Tonnes)

Country
1 3 6

Botswana 2,232 6,697 13,394

Malawi 4,544 13,633 27,267
Mozambique 15,373 46,119 92,239
Nambia 1,582 4,747 9,493
South Africa 4,731 14,193 28,385
Zambia 2,887 8,660 17,320
Zimbabwe 4,494 13,483 26,965
Totals 35,844 107,532 215,063

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

4. Current Production Capacity

PhytoTrade Africa represents producers in the seven Southern African countries

featured in the tables above. Currently our key producer is based in Malawi, although
we have at least one other producer in each of the other countries ready to step up
production rapidly as market demand grows.

Our immediate production capacity is 150 tonnes of baobab fruit pulp powder in the
next 12 months, increasing to 500+ tonnes in years two and three.

As the trade association of the natural products industry in Southern Africa,

PhytoTrade Africa is able to develop a large and reliable supply base of baobab fruit
pulp for customers, implement rigorous quality control and facilitate required
certifications.

Eventual potential production levels, as outlined in this document, could reach over
100,000 tonnes per year from Southern Africa. In addition, many producers in
Central, East and West Africa (regions we have not so far represented) are eager to
join PhytoTrade Africa and supply baobab fruit pulp powder to global markets
through us. This could increase our potential production capacity significantly.

5. Baobab Production: Best Practice

PhytoTrade Africa’s key producer of baobab fruit pulp powder is TreeCrops of

Malawi. TreeCrops has for many years set the standard for best practice in baobab
harvest and fruit pulp production in Southern Africa. The company manages its
baobab resources tightly, mapping and recording producing trees, documenting their
ages and other relevant factors. This enables TreeCrops to provide accurate
forecasts of production levels from year to year and to ensure harvests are
conducted sustainably. TreeCrops is implementing a strategy to systematically
increase the baobab resource base.

TreeCrops also ensures that fruit harvest does not adversely impact regeneration of
the species. It works in partnership with local communities to establish, nurture and
protect new baobab woodlands. In doing so, it strives to preserve the genetic width of
the species (ie. propagating from a wide variety of specimens not just the most
productive) to ensure that the species retains the ability to adapt to environmental
changes.

As global market demand for baobab fruit pulp powder increases, PhytoTrade Africa
will work with its members to ensure that all its producers adhere to the best practice
standards already set by TreeCrops.

6. Conservation Status

Adansonia digitata L. is not listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

7. Organics

Baobab fruit powder from wild-harvested fruit is naturally organic, since the wild trees
have not been treated with any fertilisers or pesticides. Our key producer, TreeCrops
in Malawi, has recently been assessed for certified organic status by EcoCert and
confirmation of its successful certification is expected soon.

PhytoTrade Africa will facilitate the organic certification of further baobab producers
in Southern Africa in line with market demand.

8. Baobab & Sustainability

The production of baobab fruit pulp powder uses only the fruit; the trees themselves
are undamaged. Trees begin to fruit at the age of around 30 and continue to do so
for most of their lives which can be 1000 years or more.

Due to the abundance of indigenous wild baobab in Southern Africa and the long
lived nature of the species, PhytoTrade Africa believes that baobab in the region we
represent faces no significant sustainability issues in the short to medium term even
with a rapid and substantial increase in global demand.

(Baobab supply in some other areas of Africa, however, faces more pressing
sustainability challenges).

Although we see no immediate sustainability issues, PhytoTrade Africa’s producers,

as outlined above, already adhere to best practice standards that include ongoing
monitoring and regeneration of wild baobab populations.

PhytoTrade Africa and its producers know through experience that when a
commercial value is attached to indigenous plant species and appropriate education
is provided, rural communities in Africa are incentivised to protect these species for
the long term.

9. PhytoTrade Africa’s Sustainability & Fair Trade Credentials

As the trade association representing the natural products industry in Southern

Africa, PhytoTrade Africa’s mission is to develop long term sustainable trade that
delivers on-going economic benefit to poor rural communities.

Environmental sustainability and fair trade are core to our operation.

Internationally-recognised Fairtrade certification standards have not yet been

developed for most natural products from Southern Africa (including baobab). In the
absence of these, PhytoTrade Africa has developed its own Charter to ensure that its
producers operate in an environmentally sustainable and ethical way.

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 BRIEFING DOCUMENT:
Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder: Production Capacity &
Sustainability in Southern Africa
October 2008

The fair trade element of the Charter is based on the criteria of the International
Federation for Alternative Trade and is designed to ensure fair prices, long term
trading relationships and protection of human rights.

PhytoTrade Africa ensures compliance with the terms of the charter through review
visits to producers undertaken at least twice a year.

In addition, PhytoTrade Africa is:

♦ A founding member of The Union for Ethical Biotrade, a global group of

companies committed to the sustainable use of biodiversity.
♦ A member of The International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and of The
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
♦ A partner to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) in the international BioTrade Facilitation Programme, a programme
that supports the development of products produced without harming
biodiversity.
♦ A partner to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Natural Futures, a
programme to develop Southern Africa’s natural products industry for the
benefit of both rural poor people and the environment.
♦ A partner to People & Plants International, a global sustainability initiative
supported by WWF.

Picture: Baobab woodlands in Malawi