Influential factors to the Consumptions of Edible Wild Fruits and Products in the Post Conflict District of Gulu, Uganda

Abstract

Edible wild fruits are of great importance to many rural communities around the world. However, factors that influence the communities’ to consume their fruits/products are in adequately documented. The objectives of this study were to document factors that influence the consumptions of the edible wild fruits/ products in Gulu District; establish community’s’ motivations to eating of the edible wild fruits; daily frequency of wild fruits consumption, and to establish the willingness of the community to include the wild fruits as part of daily meals. The edible wild fruit trees of interest were Vitex doniana Sweet, Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn, Borassus aethiopum Mart., Tamarindus indica L. and Annona senegalensis Oliv. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews among 350 respondents selected in a cluster sampling procedure from the sub-counties of Awach, Paicho, Patiko, Ongako, Lalogi and Bobi Sub-Counties. The main influential factors to community’s fruit consumptions included sensory responses (55%); availability and accessibility of the fruits (16%), social factors (13%) and least was cultural values. Only 23.7% of the respondents showed willingness to include wild fruits into their daily meals.  In conclusion, many factors influence the consumption of the edible wild fruits; hence there is need to develop studies that can mitigate the factors that influence negatively and develop ways to enhance community’s’ consumptions. The impact of consumptions of the fruits on the community’s wellbeing needs also to be investigated.

Key words: Multipurpose trees, Non-Timber Forest and Natural Tree Products