@article{fdi:010083310,
  title = {{S}hifting perceptions, preferences and practices in the {A}frican fruit trade : the case of {A}frican plum ({D}acryodes edulis) in different cultural and urbanization contexts in {C}ameroon},
  author = {{R}imlinger, {A}. and {D}uminil, {J}{\'e}r{\^o}me and {L}emoine, {T}. and {A}vana, {M}. {L}. and {C}hakocha, {A}. and {G}akwavu, {A}. and {M}boujda, {F}. and {T}sogo, {M}. and {E}lias, {M}. and {C}arri{\`e}re, {S}t{\'e}phanie {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground {U}nderstanding the perceptions, preferences and management practices associated with intraspecific variability of emblematic {A}frican tree crops is critical for their sustainable management. {I}n this paper, we examine how the agrobiodiversity of a fruit tree species native to {C}entral {A}frica, the {A}frican plum tree ({D}acryodes edulis), is perceived and managed by {C}ameroonian cultivators. {M}ethods {S}emi-structured interviews and tree surveys were conducted over four months with 441 {A}frican plum tree owners from three different ethnic groups ({B}amileke, {B}assa, {B}eti) in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. {Q}uestions focused on trees owners' perceptions-including the local nomenclature-preferences and management practices related to {A}frican plum trees and their intraspecific agrobiodiversity. {R}esults {A}cross the three ethnic groups in the study area, more than 300 different local varietal names were recorded. {T}hese were mainly based on morphological and organoleptic traits, with two-thirds of the names referring to fruit size, skin color and fruit taste. {T}he same traits were used by tree owners to describe their fruit preferences, but their relative importance in shaping fruit preferences varied among groups. {T}he preferences of urban dwellers from different ethnic groups when purchasing {A}frican plum fruit focused on the fruit's taste characteristics, while those of rural dwellers differed among ethnic groups. {I}n rural areas, where {A}frican plums are sold and consumed by their growers, the preferences of {B}assa consumers reflect quantity (fruit size) over quality (fruit taste or skin color) considerations. {T}hese preferences are reflected in the choice of seeds used for planting. {B}assa owners sought seeds from trees with large fruits (with 34.8% of {B}assa owners giving top priority to this trait as a selection criterion) to a significantly greater extent than {B}amileke and {B}eti owners who prioritized taste and skin color instead. {A}mong tree growers who selectively retained {A}frican plum trees in their fields, 44% considered tree productivity as a primary selection criterion. {C}onclusions {F}indings linking perceptions of and preferences for fruit traits to intraspecific tree diversity, with attention to inter-ethnic and rural-urban differences, will help design locally specific measures to conserve the agrobiodiversity of {A}frican plum in the context of its ongoing domestication.},
  keywords = {{S}mallholder agriculture ; {S}ub-{S}aharan {A}frica ; {T}ree crop ; {A}grobiodiversity ; conservation ; {A}groforestry ; {U}rbanization ; {CAMEROUN} ; {AFRIQUE} {SUBSAHARIENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {E}thnobiology and {E}thnomedicine},
  volume = {17},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {65 [17 ]},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1186/s13002-021-00488-3},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010083310},
}