Ghanaian women inspect the quality of the fruit from the iconic baobab tree
ALL PICS BY GREGORY HUTTON
Towards the end of my 12-hour overnight bus journey towards Ghana’s Upper East Region, I began to notice the giant baobab trees. They were the only things growing on the parched savannah — turned black against a yellow sky by the hot, blinding Harmattan, a dry and dusty north-easterly wind that blows in from the Sahara causing impressive sandstorms.
I have come to see what this distinctive tree means for those who live here. Its thick trunk and web of twisted branches produce a fruit that, when powdered, is one of the most nourishing on Earth, packed with antioxidants and anti-ageing micronutrients. Despite these qualities, this fruit has traditionally generated very little income. Without any strategic collective system, women could only take it to local markets and sell it for mere pennies. Weniamo Kwarayire, from the Pindaa community near Bolgatanga, told me she used to make about US$10 a year selling baobab and it left her no time to source water and provide food for her family. Because of this small return, the fruit usually remains unharvested and is often left to rot.
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April-June 2017 (78)
 
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