Mali - the Useful Plants Project

View on map: Mali,

The Useful Plants Project in Mali aims to improve the welfare of rural communities through the use and sustainable management of selected plant species and biodiversity conservation.

The main objectives of the project in Mali are:

identify which species are most useful to local communities
collect and conserve seeds from these useful plants
research ways to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of species used in traditional medicine
propagate useful species and establish arboreta with the involvement of rural communities
provide training and improve facilities so that local communities can increase their ability to grow useful plants

The communities involved are from the localities of Kadiolo, Koutiala, Sikasso (south east of Mali), Yanfolila, Bougouni (central of Mali), Bandiangara and Bankass (central east of Mali).

Traditional healer standing at the entrance of the community's arboretum in Kadiolo, Mali (Photo: T Ulian, RBG Kew)

Activities in Mali

Work is well underway, the team has identified which species are used by the local communities and selected the most important ones for conservation and propagation.

Collected seeds are being processed and stored in the Seed Bank at IER (Institut d’Economie Rurale (Rural Economics Institute)) in Sikasso and duplicated material is stored in Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank.

At the same time plants are being propagated at IER and in the community nurseries and then transplanted in the arboreta near the communities established through the project. So far, arboreta of 1 hectare each have been established in the communities in Kadiolo, Kouala, Yanfolia, Ifola (Sikasso) and Tori (Bankass).

Training sessions on plant propagation are carried out by the team at IER for the communities and meetings are held in order to explain the importance of conserving useful species. Plants are also distributed to schools as part of the project for educational activities.

Scientists from INRSP in Mali are carrying out research to support the conservation and sustainable use of selected medicinal plants through phytochemical analysis.

Photo gallery

Collaborators in Mali

Institutes involved in the Project in Mali are:

Institut d’Economie Rurale (Rural Economics Institute, IER) in the Regional Centre in Sikasso
Département de la Médecine Traditionnelle (Traditional medicine department, DMT) of the Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique (National Public Health Research Institute, INRSP)