Can Natural Products be the Engine for African Trade Growth?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is aiming to develop the export trade in natural products from the southern African region. RTFP agreed to finance the trade promotion component and the first step was the commissioning of a study from the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) in the UK which concluded that natural products could be the most important export-earning natural resource sector in the region.The full report (Dec 06 - 1 Mb) and A brief summary of the report are available

^{Table 1: Current and potential trade and employment by Product assuming full sustainable utilization of existing resources (10 SADC countries)}
^Product	^{Current trade (US$/yr)} ²⁰⁰⁶	^{Potential trade (US$/yr)}	^{Current households employed (gathering only)}	^{Potential households employed (gathering only)}
^Baobab	^11,203,928	^961,358,568	^1,165,965	^2,640,333
^Kigelia	^375,563	^{1,588,050,000}	^441,125	^1,764,500
^Marula	^425,000	^263,001,008	^3,475,250	^2,436,667
^Ximenia	^58,500	^37,566,884	^303,933	^1,514,667
^Trichelia	^-	^501,665,967	^1,144,833	^2,289,667
^{Kalahari Melon}	^58,500	^21,126,226	^745,083	^1,483,167
^Manketti	^-	^19,677,684	^197,208	^42,597
^Parinari	^-	^36,516,431	^1,774,250	^2,365,667
^TOTAL	^12,121,491	^{3,428,962,767}	^9,247,649	^14,537,264

Two case studies describe has been happening on the ground:

Enterprise Development within the Natural Product Sector: A case study of Eudafano Women's Cooperative 140.92 Kb Marula in Swaziland 53.9 K

Two country studies were undertaken in November 2007: Namibia: the Commercial Potential Scale of the the Natural Products Sector in Namibia 321.07 Kb Zimbabwe: Opportunities for Developing the Natural products Sector in Zimbabwe: Results from a Desktop Review 280.42

The project has also published a series of Trade Briefs with Product Information on the following: Baobab, Kigelia, Marula, Trichilia & Ximenia.

Other briefs provide Market Access information on: Baobab, Kigelia, Marula, Trichilia & Ximenia.

The work programme for the first two quarters of 2007 and the Quarterly Report for April - June 2007 236 Kb may be viewed along with the work programme. 200 KB