Utilization of Spider Plants ( Gynandropsis gynandra, L. Briq) amongst Farming Households and Consumers of Northern Namibia

Barthlomew Yonas Chataika, Levi Shadeya-Mudogo Akundabweni, Enoch G. Achigan-Dako, Julia Sibiya and Kingdom Kwapata
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Barthlomew Yonas Chataika: Crop Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Namibia, Oshakati 15001, Namibia
Levi Shadeya-Mudogo Akundabweni: Crop Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Namibia, Oshakati 15001, Namibia
Enoch G. Achigan-Dako: Laboratory of Genetics, Horticulture and Seed Science, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 00229, Benin
Julia Sibiya: School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Kingdom Kwapata: Department of Horticulture, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe 206110, Malawi

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-19

Abstract: Spider plants ( Gynandropsis gynandra , L. Briq.) are a semi-wild vegetable reported to have high nutritional, medicinal, insecticidal, and cultural values, yet continue to be neglected in research. The study was undertaken to investigate indigenous knowledge and utilization of the species in five regions of northern Namibia. Three tools were used; (i) focus group discussion, (ii) semi-structured interviews involving a random selection of 100 farming households and 24 consumers, and (iii) key informant interviews involving four agricultural staff and two open-market supervisors. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics, inferential, and cluster analyses. The study found that farming households and consumers placed higher nutritional, sociocultural, and medicinal values in spider plants than any other vegetable. Ranking of utilization traits, such as nutritional, sociocultural, and medicinal use, revealed three clusters of sociolinguistic groups associated with geographical region. The vegetable was sold and used in most cultural, traditional, and religious functions as a relish, as a source of honor, to bring luck, and for protection. The diverse uses and value placed on spider plants could offer an opportunity for the development of technologies for enhancing their domestication, production, and utilization. It is recommended that follow-up studies be carried to identify specific sociocultural and geographic factors affecting the use of spider plants.

Keywords: indigenous vegetable; ethnobotanical; nutraceutical potential; sociolinguistic groups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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