Household perceptions on ecosystem services derived from seed oil plants in northern Botswana: implications for livelihoods and biodiesel production policies

The study aimed at assessing the perceptions of households on the use of seed oil plants to determine the implications for biodiesel production. The study is framed on the concept of ecosystem services (ESSs) and its closely related concept of "nature contributions to people” (NCP). A conceptual framework on co-production of ESSs from seed oil plants was developed by the authors to explain how ESSs are co-produced from seed oil plants. The results of this study, based on a survey of a sample of 419 households, a literature review and informal interviews, reveal that different parts of seed-oil plants were used by households for different purposes. The results also suggest that households extracted vegetable oils from edible seed oil plants such as Sclerocarya birrea and Schinziophyton rutanenii and non-edible seed oil plants such as Croton megalobotrys and Ricinus communis. Edible seed oil plants provided rural households in the study areas with ESSs such as sustainable diets, human and veterinary medicinal and cosmetic care, leather treatment, and shade. Non-edible seed oil plants also provided ESSs such as herbal medicine for treatment and management of various ailments (including those associated with HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections), veterinary medicine and phytoremediation. Jatropha curcas was mainly used for ornamental purposes; its use for biodiesel and medicinal purposes was not mentioned by the households in the study areas, probably because the plant is exotic (it originated from Mexico and Central America). Seed oil plants such as Croton megalobotrys, Ricinus communis and J. curcas (which is already being tried) should be recommended as feedstocks for biodiesel production provided they are not invasive. Edible seed oil plants are not recommended for biodiesel production because this will be in conflict with the food versus fuel dilemma.