BACKGROUND
ASAL’s – Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Africa including Kenya are endowed with a rich diversity of plant resources especially gums and resins. These are articles of commerce that can contribute to the living standards of local inhabitants and the region. The region, which depends almost entirely on livestock production, is impoverished with poverty levels being among the highest in the country and during severe drought these communities across Africa loses 80 % of their live stocks. INTER Africa recognized the potential that exist in developing the off take of gums and resins as the right step –towards sustainable economic development of these arid and semi-arid of Northern Kenya and ASAL Africa. The main objective is to develop the off take of ASAL plant products ( gums and resins) and assist the social – economic development to poverty eradication through extensive training on quality production, tapping, harvesting and post – harvesting handling, grading, storage, processing, packaging and marketing. Indication shows that where already gum Arabic are collected from very few trained communities they no longer cut trees for charcoal as they see the value of harvesting gums and resins and automatically protecting the trees. Hence through the Company’s aim it has a big positive environmental effect through protection, conservation and landscape restoration.
