The oil from the Allanblackia nuts is attractive to Unilever since it can be used for margarine production with less chemical processing and refraction than palm oil. Unilever are therefore exploring the possibility of building a sustainable production, a sizeable tonnage of Allanblackia oil per annum, with fair returns to collectors and local processors. They are committed to helping conserve natural forest areas where it occurs and stimulating a small-holder production supply chain. Unilever have asked ICRAF to assist in the domestication process of the species. Of particular concern is that material entering cultivation is of sufficient genetic diversity to provide an adaptive capacity to potential changes in environment and user requirements. For this to be sustainable, knowledge on the intra-specific genetic variation for development of core collection (gene bank) is a prerequisite. One major bottleneck in the domestication programme of Allanblackia is the development of suitable methods for propagation and enhancement of phase change from juvenile to mature phase.Unilever in collaboration with World Agroforestry Centre/ICRAF identified institutions in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Ghana of which the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana is included to assist in the domestication of the species.
Publication year
2006
Authors
Ofori D A; Peprah T; Cobbinah J R
Language
English
Keywords
allanblackia floribunda, ecological zones, oils, seed germination, trees
Geographic
Ghana
