Table 1 Drivers for the promotion of Kersting’s value chains
Drivers | Opportunities | Why this driver? |
|---|---|---|
Globalization culture | Exposure to global diet diversity (e.g., tourism, international cuisine) | Diet based on the seeds is preferred by Europeans and Africans [89] |
Consumer trends (local, global) | Changing consumer attitudes toward health and environment | The different medicinal uses and popularization of its consumption in Benin [14, 25] |
Sustained use of natural resources | Increasing awareness on the need for diversified cropping systems | Potential to improve soil fertility [44] and to thrive in drought-prone environment [30] |
Climate change | Rising need for climate-tolerant species/adaptability to locations | Thrive in drought-prone environment [30] |
Commoditization of NUS | Growing shares of NUS in local, regional and international markets | Formerly reserved to Vaudoun priest and headman but now consumed by any member of family [24] |
Commodity avoidance | Research on commodity substitutes (e.g., NUS) in food formulations | Potential of use in manufactured products (soup, bakery) [57] |
Poverty alleviation | Alternative source of income for smallholder farmers | It contributes significantly to income earned by growers in Benin [25] |
Food security/improved nutrition | Access to food and enriched food basket for rural and urban people | Protein and mineral content and possibility to be combined with maize and used as weaning food for infant [50, 53] |