Beliefs, Taboos and Minor Crop Value Chains

Abstract

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) is a source of food for smallholder farmers that is increasingly promoted for its drought tolerance, soil-enhancing qualities and nutritious properties. Being an accessible crop to smallholders, it has also recently been the focus of support to develop its value chain in Malawi. However, bambara groundnut is featured in the belief systems of rural people in Malawi, and may influence and be influenced by market development. Beliefs and taboos reflect the life/death meanings symbolically represented in bambara groundnut, which influences how and by whom the crop is produced and consumed. These practices lend women significant control over the crop. The findings described in this paper have important implications for development and market-related interventions that work with food crops, which need to be taken into account during the design phase of projects.

Keywords:

• bambara
• gender
• minor crop
• beliefs
• taboos
• gender
• local knowledge

Acknowledgments

This study was supported under a grant from the Collaborative Crop Research Program of the McKnight Foundation. We would like to thank Yvonne Sunduza, who supported the fieldwork, as well as John Morton, Adrienne Martin and Claire Coote from the Natural Resources Institute, who made valuable contributions and comments on the draft.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Initiation ceremonies are widely practiced as a rite of passage for young men and women, marking an important transition in their lives or of membership into sects or societies. Generally, the ceremonies include instruction in the norms and values of the community or the sect, along with responsibilities in marriage and adult life. This takes place at the time of puberty for boys and girls or before a woman gives birth to her first child, and is specific to the culture and community (MHRC 2005).

2. Pigeons are widely owned in Malawi and are an important source of animal protein for the rural population (Gondwe et al. 2000).

3. One particular variety of bambara is even named after a secret society “Maso a Maria” in Ntchisi, Malawi.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the McKnight Foundation under the Collaborative Crop Research Program.