The Yeheb Nut Bush: a panacea for drylands?

According tothe Yeheb Project, the Cordeauxia edulis bush has been known toSomali nomads for centuries and used to form half the vegetation of Somalia andthe Ogaden. The plant appears to provide edible nuts for humans, fodder forlivestock and firewood, as well as having ‘medicinal properties’. The Yeheb Project, being implemented by Initiatives ofChange UK,aims to improve the lives of communities in the drylands of the Horn of Africaby reintroducing yeheb as a reliable, drought-resistant source of food andfodder. Interestingly, the project developed from the rediscovery of yeheb nutsby a Somali post-grad student at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Reported in J Anglo-Somali Soc, 60, 4-8). 27.9.16