Na forest we go chop?
For the ninth time in almost a year, I read the brochure of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and for the ninth time, the institute that had the least attraction for my curiosity was the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG). As a typical Ghanaian whose immediate cares are for bread and butter, I kept asking, “Who needs to study forests beyond the ability to differentiate one timber species from the other? And, I thought, “if it is for food or game, aren’t our good old farmers and hunters better consultants?”
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Importance of the forest
A recent visit to offices of the Institute at Fumesua, near Kumasi, changed all that.
There, I learned that the very survival of the human race depends on the forest, and that our knowledge of the peculiar characteristics of the smallest plant or the mightiest bako or odum tree is, therefore, very crucial. The forest is where nature lives; indeed, the forest is nature. Without the forest, there might be neither medicines nor pharmacists. Remember the adage, “When the last tree dies, the last man dies”. The forests also protect water bodies.
That is not all that I learned. That visit confirmed to me why Africa may never get out of poverty. It is at Fumesua, as at the other CSIR institutes I have visited, that one realises why the song-writer wrote that the fool thirsts even where water abounds.
For instance, did anyone know that the black pepper, known to us as “Efom wisa” is an active ingredient in Viagra, the world’s most sought-after sexual enhancing drug? As the giant multi-national pharmaceutical firms make billions of dollars from the drug, Ghana and Africa have not taken advantage of the fact that one of the ingredients that gives Viagra its potency grows wild in tropical West Africa, notably Ghana.
Miracle berry
I was also introduced to another member of the forest paradise. On the world-wide-web is the following information: “Miraculin is a taste-modifier, one of only a handful of such naturally-occurring molecules in the world. It is found in the berries of a plant known as Synsepalum dulcificum, which grows in parts of West Africa. It is a plant known for its berry that, when eaten, causes sour foods (such as lemons and limes) subsequently consumed to taste sweet.” Its other name is “Miracle Berry”. Those who have tried it in Ghana testify that if you eat this berry, it makes Guinness stout taste like Shandy!
Attempts have been made to create a commercial sweetener from the fruit, with an idea of developing it for patients with diabetes. Indeed, in Japan, the miracle berry is popular among patients with diabetes and dieters. Fruit cultivators also report a small demand from cancer patients, because the fruit allegedly counteracts a metallic taste in the mouth that may be one of the many side effects of chemotherapy.
And what are the common names for this big Latin jargon, Synsepalum dulcificum? In West Africa, where the species originates, it is known, among others, as ‘taami’; in Ghana we call it ‘asaa’ etc. Sounds familiar?
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If you are a Ghanaian/African reading this piece, here comes the juicy part of the information on the Internet: “When harvested from its natural West African environment, miracle fruit has a price point comparable to truffles. On one website, about 10 grams of freeze-dried miracle fruit powder costs US$30.”
These facts about the efficacy of the “Efom wisa” pepper and the ‘Ataami’ or ’Asaa’ berries have been known by researchers and indigenous communities for years. So the question is: Why has Ghana not taken advantage of the knowledge?
The answer is simple: Scientists do not have access to enough research funds to enable them to conduct thorough research on these species.
Oh, by the way, did you know the powers in the plant called ‘Prekese’? Or, are you, like me, afraid to take honey because you do not trust the source? For people with high blood pressure and eye problems, the good news is that there is ‘CSIR Prekese Syrup’ on the market manufactured and bottled by FORIG.
Also, for people whose systems have difficulty processing artificial sugars, here is hope. On the market is purely natural honey produced and bottled by FORIG. You can be sure of its purity. As part of its contribution towards conserving our plant resources and national heritage, CSIR-FORIG is conducting studies aimed at digitising our indigenous knowledge on forest foods and medicinal plants for posterity.
The Forestry Research Institute of Ghana is one of the 13 institutes of CSIR. It undertakes demand-driven research, builds capacity and promotes the application of technologies for sustainable management of Ghana’s forest resources for the benefit of society. Its knowledge of the forest and trees is immense. The researchers in this institute are world-class.
Regarding trees, FORIG supplies tree seedlings for plantation establishment and planting for ornamental or other purposes. Indeed, the institute hosts the National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) and supplies quality seeds to local and international clients for planting. Tree species such as odum, mahogany and kokrodua which were hitherto difficult to establish in plantations as a result of pests and disease problems are now gradually being planted successfully, thanks to years of research by scientists at CSIR-FORIG.
Technical properties of wood
Another area of research that has contributed significantly to national development is the determination of technological properties of wood. There are over 600 tree species in Ghana’s forest with potential for traditional and/or contemporary uses. Understanding the properties of these trees for domestic use, as well as for the export market, has occupied researchers at CSIR-FORIG for many years. Trees previously known as lesser-used species (LUS), including onyina, dahoma, and denya have become popular among wood workers following the outcome of studies conducted at FORIG during the 1990s.
In recent years, deforestation and forest degradation, illegal mining operations or “galamsey”, wildfires and climate change are some of the issues confronting forest researchers. “It’s not only galamsey,” says Dr Daniel Ofori, FORIG Director. “We also wonder who is protecting the forests against fires that destroy the trees that produce our fruits, spices, medicines and cosmetics”. His passion is born from the fact that “not all the gold and diamond under the earth and in all the rivers of Ghana, from Bolgatanga to Half Assini, can sustain the life of this country.”
Yours Truly asked, naturally, “If gold and silver and diamonds cannot buy us life, what can?”
Dr Ofori’s answer is simple. “The gold and bauxite and diamond and manganese, name them, are all finite resources. All of these natural resources will, one day, get exhausted. When they do, the world will expect to move on, but on what? When, in our ignorance, we destroy our water bodies and forests, where do we hope to get the oxygen to breathe in, or water to drink?”
On the walls of Dr Ofori’s office are certificates of awards won by FORIG. They are awards conferred by the Ghana Tourism Authority for Outstanding Tourist Support (1999 and 2014) and Visitors Attraction of the Year (2001). Both awards were for FORIG’s management of the Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary which boasts some 120 butterfly species, a number of mammals, birds, and a serene natural forest environment.
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