Fruit of sand: complexities of Botswana’s veld plant resources

Abstract

Interest in indigenous veld plants across Southern Africa is generating speculation on the potential market value of veld plant products. Researchers and entrepreneurs in Botswana have begun to explore the botanical resources of the Kalahari veld lands. These developments are attractive to the government of Botswana given national goals of rural development and economic diversification. Attention is turning to possible ways to increase supply, as wild gathering is unreliable and appears to be depleting wild stocks. In particular, domestication and cultivation are being considered. Indigenous plants may be able to avoid some technical constraints on agricultural development in Botswana. However, as explored in this interdisciplinary paper, there are several complications for potential cultivation in the Kalahari. The delicate ecosystem, issues of land access and commercialization, interplay with livestock, social effects of cash income and other changes, and concerns over market development and fair trade are issues that could seriously affect cultivation plans and yet are often overlooked in agrodevelopment studies. It is summarized that methods of management that better fit the natural and social context, such as communally managed gathering, should instead be considered when addressing the problem of overexploitation of wild veld plants.