Enset Landrace Diversity and Ethnobotanical Uses in the Gedeo Zone: A Living World Cultural Heritage Site

Enset ( Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a monocarpic, perennial herbaceous plant in the Musaceae family. Ethiopia is the origin and center of enset diversity and is the only country to have domesticated and used enset for food. Enset‐based farming systems are widespread in the south, southwest, and central parts of Ethiopia. Variation in agroecology, continuous farmer selection, and varied agronomic practices have led to the development of diverse enset landraces (clones) in Ethiopia. The Gedeo zone in Southern Ethiopia, which is the focus of the current study, is known for its well‐established and diverse enset farming systems, shaped by long‐term farmer selection and management. However, the reported number of enset landraces in Gedeo, ranging from 20 to 26, is relatively low compared to other enset‐growing areas, where studies report between 44 and 86 landraces. This disparity in reported landraces number underscores the need for further research and investigation. The main objectives of this study are to: i) conduct an in‐depth assessment and survey of enset landraces in the Gedeo zone and ii) evaluate the conservation status and unique ethnobotanical use of enset clones in the area. A total of 120 households from 4 districts and 12 kebeles were interviewed for the study. Additionally, focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interview (KII), and literature review were applied. The study identified 37 previously undocumented landraces, each with unique vernacular names. Combined with landraces identified in earlier studies, this raises the total number of enset landraces in Gedeo to 57, which is over 100% greater than previously reported. Different landraces support different needs of the community. Nonetheless, only 4–6 enset landraces are frequently and widely used. Among the widely cultivated enset landraces, the most frequently used are ranked in the following order: Ganticho, Nifo, Qarase, Dimoye, Toracho, and Ado. Most landraces are rare, cultivated in restricted locations, and thus vulnerable to socio‐ecological changes. Enset and its diverse landraces are deeply intertwined with the culture of the people in Gedeo. It has shaped their livelihoods, culture, and environment, helping them thrive for millennia in a densely populated area naturally prone to degradation. Enset offers a wide range of food, medicinal, fiber, and environmental benefits. As no single landrace meets all these needs, conserving enset diversity is crucial to sustaining its full cultural, nutritional, and ecological value. However, recent socio‐ecological changes, such as pest and disease outbreaks, climate change, and rapid population growth leading to land use intensification, are threatening the diversity of enset landraces in the Gedeo zone. Despite some efforts made by various actors to conserve the enset landraces in the area, results so far are not encouraging. The findings underscore the significance of diversified enset landraces and their ethnobotanical implications, raising awareness of the need to support the conservation and sustainable use of enset landraces to maximize their socio‐ecological significance.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Advances in Agriculture

• Publication date

  2025-01-01

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1155/aia/4915656
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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