Evaluates the African plant resources that could help broaden and secure Africa's food supply. This title describes 24 indigenous African cultivated and wild fruits that have potential as food and cash-crops. It assesses the potential of each fruit to help overcome malnutrition, boost food security, and foster rural development.

Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether this continent can ever hope to feed its growing population. Yet there is an overlooked food resource in sub-Saharan Africa that has vast potential: native food plants. Africa has more than 2,000 native grains and fruits--"lost" species due for rediscovery and exploitation. This volume focuses on native cereals, presenting information on where and how they are grown, harvested, and processed, their benefits and limitations as a food source, and the the futures of each grain.