Diversity, Geographical, and Consumption Patterns of Traditional Vegetables in Sociolinguistic Communities in Benin: Implications for Domestication and Utilization

Diversity, Geographical, and Consumption Patterns of Traditional Vegetables in Sociolinguistic Communities in Benin: Implications for Domestication and Utilization. Traditional vegetables in many African rural areas are an important part of the daily diet and economy but have been poorly documented until recently. We undertook a survey in Benin on the diversity and patterns of use of traditional vegetables by 18 sociolinguistic groups in the three major phytogeographical regions. Major groups include the Yoruba-Nagot, Fon, Bariba, Adja, Cotafon, and Ditammari. Focus groups and field visits were conducted in 49 villages. Species richness at the country level and in phytogeographical regions was estimated using species accumulation curves. Our results indicated that 245 species belonging to 62 families are used as vegetable resources all over the country. The most frequently used families include Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Leguminoseae. About 80% of collected vegetables are wild resources; only 19% were clearly under cultivation. Herbs were the most widely consumed life form. The Guinean and the Sudanian regions exhibit similar species richness while in the Sudano-Guinean region vegetable richness is higher. The use of a species as a vegetable depends not only on socio-cultural attributes but also on geographical occurrence. Based on this inventory, we identified needs for further research and activities for both the conservation and promotion of traditional vegetables.