CONTRIBUTION OF AFRICAN LEAFY VEGETABLES TO FOOD SAFETY AND INCOME GENERATION IN SENEGAL

African leafy vegetables (ALV) can play an extremely significant role in food security and efforts to reduce malnutrition and poverty in Senegal. However, leafy vegetables are often overlooked by the scientific community. The objective of this research was to analyse the status of African leafy vegetables in Senegal prior to proposing action for future research and development of these species. Participatory surveys were carried out in order to inventory the various ways leafy vegetables are used, along with their constraints. Production and marketing are both exclusively ensured by women. Leafy vegetables are produced mostly in urban and peri-urban areas on small plots of less than 600 m2. Traditional cultivation methods are often used to grow African leafy vegetables. The seeds used by farmers are a mixture of cultivars. African leafy vegetables are used as food and for medicinal purposes. They are consumed like spinach or as condiments accompanying the main course. Average daily intake is estimated at 23 g/person, which is comparable to the rate of consumption in sub-Saharan Africa (24 g/person). The average price of these vegetables is US$ 0.30, which is generally higher than other vegetables (US$ 0.19). Their contribution to the income of households can be as high as 100%. The development of ALV production is limited, however, by constraints, the most important ones being the reduction in gene-pool of certain species, poor cultivation practices, and lack of organization among stakeholders for marketing ALV. Involvement of policy-makers at the institutional and governmental levels is needed to reduce these constraints, improve production and consumption levels, and encourage access to export markets.