Toward the Reshaping of an Endogenous Leafy Vegetable Value Chain: the Case Study of Vitex doniana in the Republic of Benin

Abstract

The black plum Vitex doniana is a wild tree widely distributed in Africa. It is consumed as a leafy vegetable by at least 22 ethnic groups in Benin and also used as a source of income. This research analyzed the value chain of this leafy vegetable in order to define strategies that create added value for maximum profits for stakeholders. For each segment of the value chain, we investigated the flow of goods and services, financial flows, opportunities, and bottlenecks. The results indicate that three groups of stakeholders, including collectors-processors, wholesalers, and retailers, were involved in the production and marketing of Vitex doniana leaves. The Vitex doniana investigated in this study came from Kpokissa, a village located in the southeast near Bohicon. Vitex doniana was parboiled before selling and generated reasonable income for stakeholders. Bottlenecks in this value chain included the low density of trees for high productivity, the use of traditional tools for leaf harvest, and poor yield performance of trees due to ageing. Moreover, Vitex doniana was not found in supermarkets and small restaurants, indicating that the species remains an underutilized leafy vegetable. The analysis of the Vitex doniana value chain revealed that some consumers adopted freeze preservation, which requires keeping the pre-cooked vegetable below 0 °C before further use. This method added value. These results provide a baseline for further investigations in improving the value chain of Vitex doniana.