Indigenous and local knowledge across Africa holds significant potential in enhancing food security and biodiversity conservation, according to experts speaking at a recent webinar hosted by the African Forest Forum.

Forests provide essential sources of food, nutrition, and income for millions of people across the continent. However, both the ecosystems themselves and the traditional knowledge that supports their sustainable use face increasing threats from environmental degradation and societal shifts.

Doris Mutta, senior program officer at the African Forest Forum, highlighted that forest and tree-based systems complement conventional agriculture by contributing to more diverse and nutritious diets. She noted that existing agricultural methods have failed to eradicate hunger and often produce unbalanced nutrition, leaving vulnerable populations more exposed to food price fluctuations. In contrast, many rural and indigenous communities depend on wild and cultivated forest products, such as baobab, marula, shea, and tamarind, to meet daily nutritional needs and to build resilience against climate change impacts.

These indigenous fruits not only offer vital nutrients—baobab, for instance, is rich in vitamin C—but also support livelihoods through local and international markets. Marula is widely utilized in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, while shea remains a key ingredient in food and confectionery industries.

Traditional knowledge passed down through generations has led to the development of crop varieties exhibiting traits like drought tolerance, pest resistance, and improved nutritional quality, thereby bolstering food security. Furthermore, such knowledge underpins sustainable land management and the preservation of agrobiodiversity, serving as a crucial genetic reservoir for modern agricultural practices. Nevertheless, Mutta cautioned that this knowledge is rapidly diminishing as younger generations increasingly move away from traditional lifestyles amid accelerating environmental degradation.

In Benin’s Upper Guinean Forest biodiversity hotspot, Gracias Avakoudjo, a research assistant at the University of Abomey-Calavi’s Laboratory of Applied Ecology, identified 31 documented tree-food species. Despite growing market demand, production of many forest food species is declining due to deforestation, habitat destruction, agricultural expansion, and inadequate tree regeneration. Avakoudjo expressed concern about the loss of traditional knowledge, noting that valuable conservation practices disappear as elder knowledge holders pass away.

Similarly, in Ethiopia, independent consultant Berhane Kidane Mengesha reported the identification of 25 forest species, alongside one edible leafy vegetable species and a resin-bearing species, which contribute to the food security of households in the Horn of Africa. Traditional knowledge in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti supports biodiversity management in these regions, where pastoral and agro-pastoral communities rely heavily on forest resources. Nonetheless, factors such as drought, population growth, settlement expansion, illegal charcoal production, and overharvesting threaten these vital ecosystems.

In Southern Africa, consultant Derek Berliner noted that the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot harbors 115 edible forest species, with at least 35 also used as traditional medicines. He warned that illegal logging, poaching, and unsustainable harvesting are degrading forests and undermining conservation efforts. Berliner underscored the role of sacred forests, customary harvesting restrictions, and traditional leadership in protecting biodiversity.

Experts collectively emphasize the urgent need to preserve both indigenous knowledge and forest ecosystems to ensure sustainable food systems and biodiversity conservation across Africa.