BALANITES AEGYPTIACA (L.) DEL, AN UNDER-UTILISED OIL TREE WITH THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOODS OF LOCAL PEOPLE IN SENEGAL

Abstract

Non-conventional oilseeds are found in most Sahelian regions of Africa, where they participate in improving living conditions despite their low economic impact worldwide. For the reforestation of ecosystems along the sub-Saharan Africa's Great Green Wall (GGW), most countries have chosen Balanites aegyptiaca, one of the oleaginous woody plants highly prized by local populations, which could give the tree a major economic boost. The aim of this study that was carried out in Senegal is two-fold: 1) to increase our knowledge of the structure and organization of the tree's fruit and oil seed value chain and 2) to have a deeper understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of the oil extracted from the seeds and its uses by local populations. Two methodological approaches were used: a survey of the main actors involved in the value chain and an analysis of the physicochemical composition of the oil. A large number of actors are involved in the Balanites sector; the fruit is collected in rural areas and transported to urban areas, where it is then marketed. The sector generates a highly diversified range of products from the processing of the seeds. They contain high-value oleaginous potential due to their high oil content, a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic {C 18: 2(n-6)} and oleic {C 18: 1 (n-9)}), and natural antioxidants (tocophérols et λ) of high biological activity. The latter explains their use in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and also in the cosmetic industry. The marketing of Balanites fruit remains marginal in Senegal due to a lack of resources and adapted processing technologies.