The sub-Saharan African Forest Genetic Resources (SAFORGEN) Programme is a voluntary instrument of international co-operation in research and development. Itaims at promoting collaboration and catalyzing action among national, and regional and /sub-regional institutions to bring about the effective conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. SAFORGEN operations cover three broad sub-regions in sub-Saharan Africa: West and Central Africa, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.

To find out more about SAFORGEN, scroll down or click on the links below.

History
Programme objectives
Some key projects
National Coordinators
Publications

History
During the regional meeting of national tree seed centres in Dakar, Senegal in April 1987, representatives from 12 African countries laid the foundations for a mechanism to combine and share expertise, identify gaps in existing forestry conservation and utilisation programmes, and mobilise support for research, development and implementation actions to safeguard and use African forest genetic resources.

A series of training workshops led to the setting up of SAFORGEN:

• A total of 46 six scientists from 15 francphone countries received training in various forestry disciplines at the First Regional Training Workshop on the Conservation, Sustainable Management and Use of Forest Genetic Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa (16-27 March 1998, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso). The workshop was organised by Bioversity International, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Agricultural Research Centre for International Development - Forests (CIRAD-Forêt) and other relevant organisations.
• The design of the SAFORGEN Programme was established at the Sub-regional workshop on the conservation, management, sustainable utilization and enhancement of forest genetic resources in sub-Saharan Africa (22-24 September 1998, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso). The worskhop was organized by FAO in collaboration with Bioversity International and ICRAF and the participation of 15 sub-Saharan countries. Bioversity International in collaboration with the FAO accepted to assist in SAFORGEN's implementation and the Programme was launched in Benin in January 1999.
• The operational structure of SAFORGEN and its mode of operation were endorsed and a set of priority tree species for the two regions was agreed upon at the Second Regional Training Workshop on the Conservation, Sustainable Management and Use of Forest Genetic Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa (6-11 December 1999, Nairobi, Kenya). The workshop was attended by 36 participants from 13 anglophone countries in the region.

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Programme objectives
SAFORGEN aims at enabling people and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa to maintain and make the best use of forest biodiversity by developing an effective networking platform. It's specific objective are:

• to assess the dynamic processes that shape forest genetic diversity from population to landscape level,
• to develop strategies, methods and tools for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity and
• to disseminate knowledge and information to international fora and national programmes about conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources, in partnership with national programmes and sub-regional networks.

The focus of the research activities is centred on priority species groups: food species, medicinal and aromatic species, wood and fibre, fodder species.

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Some key projects
Development of appropriate conservation strategies for selected priority tree species
The goal of the UNEP funded project was to develop methodologies for assessing genetic erosion as a basis for developing conservation strategies for conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources in sub-Saharan Africa. Two tree species were selected in each of the study countries: Afzelia africana and Khaya senegalensis in Benin, Dalium orientale and Tamarindus indica in Kenya and Alstonia boonei and Nauclea latifolia in Togo.

Partners:

• the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of D'Abomey Calavi, Benin
• Kenya Forestry Research Institute
• Centre de Recherche Pharmacologique Appliquée sur les Plantes Thérapeutiques Africaines (CERPHAPLATA)

Garcinia kola Heckel seed dormancy
Garcinia kola Heckel (Guttiferae) is a highly valued and multi-purpose non-timber forest product used in Western and Central Africa. On-farm conservation is necessary for sustainable use but is limited by poor seed germination due to dormancy. The project promoted the domestication of this tree by improving seed germination.

Partners:

• the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Management of the Natural Resources Department of the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Morphological characteristics of shea tree
Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) occurring in many sub-Saharan Africa regions has a high socio-economic importance. The study was therefore carried out in Kalalé commune, Borgou department in the northeastern region of Benin (West Africa) to assess potential variability in shea to be used for future selection work.

Partners:

Polytechnic College, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
• Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria de España (INIA)

Publication

• Descriptors for Shea tree

Food forest fruit trees in Cameroon
The study is a synthesis of elementary investigations in several fields about food forest fruit trees in Cameroon: botany, socio-economic and cultural importance, cultivation (nursery, plantation and growth), genetic diversity, agroforestry and domestication. All these aspects are being gathered together for publishing in a whole volume.

Partners:

• World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
• Center for Intenational Forestry Research (CIFOR)
• Institute for Agricultural Research for Development - Cameroon (IRAD)

Publication

• Les fruitiers forestiers comestibles du Cameroun

Shea tree: socio-economic importance and market improvement
Shea butter is the main product deriving from the shea tree; a species of high socio-economic importance in sub-Saharan Africa. The improvement in the production chain for shea butter will bring direct benefits to the well being of local communities. Research in this area was carried out in the northeastern region of Benin (West Africa).

Partners:

• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
• Spanish National Research Institute (INIA)

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SAFORGEN National Coordinators

Member country	National coordinator
Benin	AGBAHUNGBA, M. Georges A.
Burkina Faso	OUEDRAOGO, Lambert Georges
Chad	MOULNANG, Tal
Congo (Brazzaville)	NKEOUA, Gregoire
Ethiopia	BALCHA, Girma
Gambia	BOJANG, Lamin
Guinea (Conakry)	DIAWARA, Djiramba
Kenya	KIGOMO, Bernard
Madagascar	RAMOMONJISOA, Lolona
Mali	N'DIAYE, Ibrahima
Niger	ATTAOU, Mahaman Laminou
Senegal	BOYE, Ababacar
South Africa	VORSTER, Tom
Sudan	ABDELAZIM, Mirghani Ibrahim
Togo	OURO-DJERI, Essowe
Uganda	ESEGU,  John Francis Osoto

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Publications

Reports

Review and Appraisal on the Status of Indigenous Fruits in Eastern Africa
(VERY LARGE PDF FILE, 4,172 KB)

Rain forest management for wood production in West and Central Africa (PDF 671 KB),
March 2004

Proceedings

Expert Consultation on the Status on the of Indigenous Fruit trees in East Africa
6-7 December 2004

Aménagement des forêts naturelles des zones tropicales sèches en Afrique de l'Ouest.
Actes du Séminaire international sur l'aménagement intégré des forêts naturelles des zones tropicales sèches en Afrique de l'Ouest
25-29 juin 2001, Parakou, Bénin

Programme de ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique au sud du Sahara (programme SAFORGEN)
Réseau "Espéces Ligneuses Alimentaires"
Compte rendu de la première reunion du Réseau
11-13 décembre 2000, CNSF Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Recent Research and Development in Forest Genetic Resources
Proceedings of the Training Workshop on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Genetic Resources in Eastern and Southern Africa
6-11 December 1999, Nairobi, Kenya

Programme de ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique au sud du Sahara (programme SAFORGEN)
Réseau "Espèces Ligneuses Médicinales"
Compte rendu de la première reunion du Réseau
15-17 Décembre 1999 Station IITA Cotonou, Benin

Vers une approche regionale des ressources génétiques forestieres en Afrique sub-saharienne
Actes du premier atelier régional de formation sur la conservation et utilisation durable des ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique de l'Ouest, Afrique Centrale et Madagascar,
16-27 mars 1998, Centre National de Semence Forestières, Burkina Faso

Articles

Dendrometric characteristics as indicators of pressure of Afzelia africana Sm. dynamic changes in trees found in different climatic zones of Benin(PDF 1,072 KB)
Biodiversity and Conservation 13: 1555-1570, 2004.

Working papers

Development of appropriate strategies for African forest trees identified as priority species by SAFORGEN member countries
Eyog-Matig, O., Gaoué, O.G. and Obel-Lawson, E. (eds) 2002.
Bioversity International, Nairobi, Kenya. 83p.

State of Forest Genetic Resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa and Sub-Regional Action Plan for their Conservation and Sustainable Use.
FAO, Bioversity International & ICRAF 2001.
Based on the work of Sigaud P., Eyog-Matig, O. and national consultants.
Working paper FGR/2E; Forest Resources Division, FAO, Rome, Italy.

Sub-regional workshop on the conservation, management, sustainable utilization and enhancement of forest genetic resources in Sahelian and North-Sudanian Africa
FAO, Bioversity International & ICRAF
22-24 September 1998, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Working papers co=published by FAO, Bioversity, SAFORGEN, DFSC and ICRAF go to the listings in the FAO Document Repository.

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