Growing Indigenous food trees in East Africa fights malnutrition and biodiversity loss
In East Africa, a beloved fruit is disappearing from local markets. The masuku plum, a native tree whose sweet fruits sell out almost instantly in Malawi, has become increasingly scarce due to widespread deforestation. This scarcity reflects a broader problem: while tree-planting programs proliferate across the region, they typically favor fast-growing, non-native timber species over food-bearing Indigenous trees. The result is a double loss—communities face both worsening malnutrition and declining biodiversity. Researcher Emilie Vansant discovered this gap during her doctoral work, when she found that Malawian women who supplemented their diets with food from native trees had significantly higher levels of essential nutrients like folate, zinc, and vitamin A. These same trees also support richer ecosystems for native plants and animals. Yet when Vansant spoke with farmers about planting more Indigenous food trees, they reported lacking basic information—the most recent planting guide for the region dated back to 1993. In response, she collaborated with Malawian foresters, botanists, and agroecologists to create an illustrated guide covering species like the African custard-apple and the marula, many of which provide multiple edible or medicinal products. The team then hosted workshops with forty landscape restoration workers to identify barriers to integrating these trees into reforestation efforts. This story matters because it demonstrates how ecological restoration and human nutrition can support each other. By looking to what grew in these landscapes before—and what local communities already love to eat—conservation work can nourish both people and ecosystems simultaneously.