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Diversification booklet number 20Spices and herbsforhome and marketMelanie Matthews and Michael JackRural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries DivisionFood and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsRome 2011
The designations employed and the presentation of material in thisinformation product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoeveron the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, cityor area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers orboundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers,whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these havebeen endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similarnature that are not mentioned.The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) anddo not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.ISBN 978-92-5-106000-0All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination ofmaterial in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorizedfree of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercialpurposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications forpermission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and allqueries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail tocopyright@fao.org or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch,Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO,Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. FAO 2011
Spices and herbs Contribution to livelihoods Market potential Purpose of the booklet Spices and herbs for improved livelihoods Spices and herbs at household level Health, nutrition and medicinal value Gender focused initiatives Opportunities for the disabled Peri-urban and urban agriculture Financial rewards The livelihood activity Crop selection Key steps in the enterprise Product quality and safety Assets and inputs required Speciality spices and herbs: Organic and Fair Tradevvii1123577889910111117262930 Developing the livelihood activity:Successful and sustainable strategies Market appraisal Test planting of spice and herb crops Marketing channels Spice and herb products Product diversification options: Adding value Marketing strategies Organization Contract farming393941424447484850Table of contents Preface Acknowledgements Introduction
Promoting spices and herbs: Support services Public policy Technical support, training and skills development Business skills development Market information Financial services Organizational options Role of the advisor Challenges Supply chain and market linkages Product quality and safety Farmer groups On-farm processing: Investment and technology Access to quality plant materials Continuity of supply Access to financial services Enterprise sustainability Selected further reading Sources of further information and support51515152535354545757575858585959596165Table of contents
PrefaceEach booklet focuses on a farm or non-farm enterprise that can be integratedinto small farms to increase incomes and enhance livelihoods. The enterprisesprofiled in the FAO Diversification booklets are suitable for smallholderfarmers in terms of resource requirements, additional costs, exposure to riskand complexity. The products or services generated by the enterprises aresuitable for meeting demand on a growing, or already strong, local marketand are not dependent on an export market. However in this particular caseexport markets are considered as they can be a potential lucrative market forsmall-scale farmers.The main target audience for these booklets are people and organizationsthat provide advisory, business and technical support services to resourcepoor small-scale farmers and local communities in low- and middle-incomecountries. It is hoped that enough information is given to help these supportservice providers to consider new income-generating opportunities and howthese might enable small-scale farmers to take action. What are the potentialbenefits? What are farmer requirements and constraints? What are critical‘success factors’?The FAO Diversification booklets are also targeted to policy-makers andprogramme managers in government and non-governmental organizations.What actions might policy-makers take to create enabling environments forsmall-scale farmers to diversify into new income-generating activities?The FAO Diversification booklets are not intended to be technical ‘howto do it’ guidelines. Readers will need to seek more information or technicalsupport, so as to provide farmer advisory and support activities relating tothe introduction of new income-generating activities. To assist in this respect,vSpices and herbs for home and marketThe purpose of the FAO Diversification booklets is to raise awareness andprovide decision support information about opportunities at farm and localcommunity level to increase the incomes of small-scale farmers.
each booklet identifies additional sources of information, technical supportand website addresses.A CD has been prepared with a full series of FAO Diversification bookletsand FAO technical guides, together with complementary guides on marketresearch, financing, business planning, etc. Copies of the CD are availableon request from FAO. FAO Diversification booklets can also be downloadedfrom the FAO Internet site.If you find this booklet of value, we would like to hear from you. Tellyour colleagues and friends about it. FAO would welcome suggestions aboutpossible changes for enhancing our next edition or regarding relevant topicsfor other booklets. By sharing your views and ideas with us we can providebetter services to you.vi
Gratitude is owed to Doyle Baker, Senior Technical Officer, RuralInfrastructure and Agro-Industries Division, (AGS), FAO, who provided fora detailed technical review on the final draft version of this booklet. Specialthanks also go to Paul Vantomme, Senior Forestry Officer,(FOEI), AlexandraRöttger Agribusiness Economist, (AGS), and Stepanka Gallatova, AgroIndustry Officer, (AGS) for their reviews, inputs and advice on previousdrafts of this booklet.Acknowledgements for the seriesGratitude is owed to Doyle Baker, Senior Technical Officer, Rural Infrastructureand Agro-Industries Division (AGS), FAO, for his vision, encouragement andconstant support in the development of the FAO Diversification booklet series.Martin Hilmi managed the development, production and post-productionof the series and provided technical support and inputs. Michael Breeceundertook the design and layout of the booklets and desktop publishing.viiSpices and herbs for home and marketAcknowledgements
Spices and herbsSpices can be defined as “vegetableproducts used for flavouring,seasoning and imparting aromain foods” (FAO, 2005). Herbs areleafy spices, and some, like dill andcoriander, can provide both spiceseeds and leafy herbs. Many spiceand culinary herb plants are widelyregarded as having medicinalproperties, and there is thereforesome overlap between them andMedicinal Aromatic Plants (MAPs).Distinctions can be drawn basedon the purposes for which plantsare used (see FAO DiversificationBooklet No. 17 Health and wealthfrom medicinal aromatic plants).There is also an overlap betweenspices and herbs, and plantsnormally classified as vegetablessome vegetables can also be used tospice up other foods- for examplein the People’s Republic of China,and in Pakistan, certain types ofmushrooms are used as spices(see FAO Diversification bookletNo.7 Make money by growingmushrooms).Around fifty spice and herb plantsare of global trade importance, butmany other spices and herbs cropsare used in traditional cooking,healthcare, or other applications,in particular regions and tradedlocally. Spices and herbs are grownas trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals,wild and cultivated. Spice and herbplants provide seeds and fruits,leaves and stems, flowers and buds,roots and rhizomes, bark and resinsthat can all be commercialized invarious forms: sold fresh, frozen,dried, whole or ground, distilledinto oils or solvent extracted intooleoresins.There is good trade potentialfor small-scale farmers wheregrowing conditions are favourableand there is a local market demandfor spices and herbs. Farmers canbenefit from spices and herbs ashigher value, low volume cashcrops, to enhance their income andthus improve their livelihoods. Alarge proportion of spices traded inboth local and export markets areproduced by small-scale farmers,and the worldwide trade providesmulti-billion US dollar earnings forsmall-scale farmers.World markets for spices andherbs, particularly in industrializingcountries and in local markets,1Spices and herbs for home and marketIntroduction
are expanding and can offer goodreturns to small-scale farmers.Trade is dominated by driedproducts. In recent years freshherbs have become popular and areperceived to be of higher quality.Spice and herb derived essential oilsand oleoresins are sold in large andgrowing markets. Contribution to livelihoodsSpice and herb plants do not requirelarge land areas for profitablecultivation and can also be gatheredfrom the wild. In the case ofcultivation, growing can be achievedwithout excessive investments asmany spice and herb plants canbe produced with minimal inputsof cash, labour and land. They areoften an ideal crop to be integratedinto small-scale farming systemsand are suitable for smaller gardenproduction (see FAO DiversificationBooklet No.2 Livelihoods grow ingardens).Spices and herbs as an enterprisecan offer additional opportunitiesfor employment within the familyand income earned can be used asa ‘safety net’ in times of need and/or used to pay for medical expensesthat the family may require.Cultivations of suitable spice andherb crops can provide extra cashto supplement household income2and improve livelihoods. There isalso a good potential for small-scaleprocessing on-farm that can providevalue-adding activities and higherincome from the sale of processedspices and herbs.Spices and herbs are a particularlyviable enterprise for women asthey can conveniently be grown ingardens in and around the homestead,FIGURE 1 Varieties of spices on sale at amarket.(Photo: FAO/24691 1163/ G. Napolitano)
with herbs and spices (see FAODiversification booklet No. 18 Sellingstreet and snack foods). Spices andherbs can also be used to preservefood (see FAO Diversification bookletNo. 5 Processing for prosperity). Market potentialLocal markets for fresh, dried andvalue added spice and herb productscan be developed in competitionwith imports. Organic and Fair Tradecertification is sometimes consideredworthwhile for export markets only.However, many African and SouthAmerican markets have a sizeablelocal demand for organic products.FIGURE 2 A women, who is part of a women’s group, packaging spices in Nepal(Photo: FAO/22559/ G. Diana)3Spices and herbs for home and marketas well as providing an opportunityfor women to start a commercialenterprise and be able to participatein the local economy. The income canbe of great support, especially in caseof widowhood or abandonment, andthe enterprise can have the potentialto provide a greater role for womenin the family and community.Spices and herbs can be usedin household and personal hygieneproducts. They also contribute tonutrition, can provide traditionalmedicinal benefits and can garnishfoods making them more appetizingto eat. For example, many streetfoods the world over are garnished
This demand comes partly fromupper-income local and expatriateconsumers, but HIV programmesoften recommend eating organic foodand this has led to awareness amongthe general population and additionallower-income demand for organicfood crops.Indigenous plants are nowfinding new uses given a renewedappreciation for natural products.Local processing can widen thevariety of spice and herb crops thatmay find markets. Central processingplants for oleoresins have been set upin various countries-for example inIndia and Zimbabwe. Mobile stillsoperated by contractors allow smallscale farmers to grow essential oilcrops without making an investmentin distillation equipment.The production of spices by smallscale farmers has been big businessin many countries for centuries. Themethods of finance, production,processing, quality control andmarketing have been widely studied(for links to research on this see theSelected further reading section atthe end of the booklet). Local demandin developing countries is largely forspices rather than herbs – taste variesregionally but pepper, curry spicesand paprika are mainstay crops. Incountries which are not traditionalexporters, new production of such4FIGURE 3 Local market sales in Mexico(Photo: FAO/4182/ F. Botts)spices, where conditions are suitable,can often compete successfully withimports.Culinary herbs are less oftentraditionally produced by smallscale farmers than are spices, thoughMediterranean North Africa is anexception to this. Herb production isoften mechanized, and good qualityis easier to achieve using forcedair drying and machine cleaningthan by small-scale sun drying andhand sorting methods, as usedsatisfactorily for many spices. Manyculinary herbs originate in temperate/Mediterranean climates, and perhaps
Purpose of the bookletThis publication aims to createawareness about the potentialopportunitiesandadvantagesfor spices and herbs as a viablediversification enterprise to enhancethe livelihoods of small-scalefarmers. The focus is on spice andherb enterprises being integratedinto small-scale faming systems,alongside traditional crops andlivestock, and/or harvested fromwild plants. Opportunities for valueaddition are also highlighted.Spices and herbs for home and marketfor this reason local markets tradefewer herbs than spices in manydeveloping countries.5
Spices and herbs at householdlevelSpices and herbs can be integratedeasily into the framework of manysmall-scale farmers’ households.They can be cultivated in closeproximity to the homestead, ineither home or market gardens.Culinary spices and herbs requirea relatively small area to producemarketable crops, and when addedto traditional foods, will provide anappetising nutritional improvement.Small-scale cultivation of spiceand herb crops is particularlysuitable for women as they cantend to herbs and spices close to thehomestead. Post-harvest handlingat small-scale level is fairly simpleand does not require complexoperations - fresh herbs can besold in local retail markets andprovide useful additional incomefor the farm family. Moreovervalue added processed productscan also be developed at this level– condiments, pastes, etc.- withpotential to enlarge the enterprise asskill levels and market knowledgedevelop.FIGURE 4 A young man watering chilli pepper and onion plants in his home garden(Photo: FAO/22925/ G Bizzarri)7Spices and herbs for home and marketSpices and herbs for improved livelihoods
Health, nutrition and medicinalvalueThe medicinal attributes of herbs formthe basis of traditional healthcare.Medicinal Aromatic Plants (MAP’s)are widely documented to have a rangeof health benefits and cultivation can bebeneficial to households and the widercommunity (see FAO Diversificationbooklet No. 17 Health and wealthfrom medicinal aromatic plants). Forexample, rosemary is used to treatheadaches, poor circulation and as anatural breath freshener. Bay leavescan be made into an infusion to relieveflatulence and bloating and to helpwith arthritis. African basil (Ocimumcanum) can be drunk as a refreshingtea and is used to treat diabetes, asan expectorant to clear throat andlungs, and as a mosquito repellent.Antioxidants are found in many spicesand herbs which can contribute to thebody’s defence against cardiovasculardisease and intestinal cancers.Examples include ginger, which iswidely used for digestive problems;and fenugreek and garlic, which mayhelp lower cholesterol levels.opportunities exist for women inspice and herb cultivation, in smallhousehold garden/kitchen processingenterprises, in further value additionand in selling. This enables women,in their own right, to earn income, toinvolve themselves in trade, createsocial networks, improve their statusin the family and social status in theircommunity and to provide addedsecurity to their household in caseof abandonment by, or sickness ordeath of, the husband or other malehousehold members. Gender focused initiativesWomen play a very important role infarming households. In addition todomestic work they provide a highproportion of the farm labour. Many8FIGURE 5 A women and her spice crop:sun dried chilli peppers(Photo: FAO/23072/ R. Grossman)
Opportunities for the disabledCultivation of plants can be atherapeutic exercise and enablesmentally and physically challengedpeople to contribute to theirhousehold. Spice and herb cleaningis relatively light work comparedto the labour involved in thecultivation of staple crops. Forexample, vanilla involves handpollination and the pods are handpicked, dried and conditioned beforepacking; hand cutting of lemongrassleaf into specified lengths for theEU continental loose tea marketis another task that can be carriedout by less mobile workers. Someseedlings can be grown in raisedbeds or trays on benches to makeit easier for physically disabled orelderly less mobile people.Wherehouseholdmembersare weakened through sufferingfrom HIV/Aids, diversifying intoappropriate spice and herb crops canchange the nature of the workloadand enable them to still contributeto the household. In Rwanda, forexample, an NGO, Gardens forHealth1 has successfully initiatedcollective small-scale agriculturefor groups of people with AIDSto improve their food security andincome. The cooperatives operatelabour sharing schemes to give restdays and share the burden of work. Peri-urban and urbanagricultureSpices and herbs can be cultivatedin small urban plots as well as inroof gardens, pots and other areaswhere cultivation medium may beavailable. When spice and herbcrops are produced in peri-urbanand urban areas there is a market onfarmers’ doorsteps and marketing offresh spices and herbs to consumersbecomes feasible.The cost of urban land may be high,but often unused land is cultivatedinformally. Care needs to be takenin the selection of land cultivated,avoiding wetlands, stream banks andcatchment areas, and measures takento minimise erosion and the resultantsiltation of municipal water supplies.Adequate planning and guidance isrequired at policy level to provide asuitable environment plus trainingand support to ensure good standardsof cultivation and hygiene are met.1See www.gardensforhealth.org9Spices and herbs for home and marketWhen organizing training it isimportant to include women as oftentheir access is limited as preference isusually given to men when invitingparticipants for training sessions.
FIGURE 6 Urban agriculture: farmer cutting spearmint(Photo: FAO/22435/ O. Thuillier) Financial rewardsSmall-scale farmers can benefitfrom spices and herbs in a gardenor smallholding to generate incometo improve their livelihoods beyondsubsistence. The smallholder will befamiliar with what types of spicesand herbs are suitable for local tastes.Profits realised from the enterpriseswill depend on the viability of the cropselected, skill and care in producing aquality product, and expertise in themarketing of that product locally.Where crops are grown for a largerscale domestic market, perhaps fora local spice processor or packer,the potential rewards may be greater10but will carry a higher level of risk.Post-harvest operations will becomemore complex and quality critical– processors often require a highmicrobiological standard. Accessto such markets will require morebusiness and marketing skill.Producing a specialist crop for anoverseas export market can be a highrisk venture. However, there are manysuccessful cases where production isorganized under a contract growingscheme with a minimum priceguaranteed to the farmer and a wellorganized supply chain administeredby a competent and well fundedbuying company.
Crop selectionMost culinary spice and herbcrops grow well or adequatelyin the tropics. Some, like sage,moss curled parsley, tarragon, andthyme, grow better in temperateclimates. Basil, coriander androsemary can grow at least aswell in the tropics as in temperateclimates, given adequate irrigationand under the right conditions(higher altitudes and coolertemperatures). Lemongrass, gingerand the capsicums are not muchgrown outside the tropics and subtropics.Often a region will have its ownindigenous spice and herb plantswhich can offer opportunitiesfor products with traditionallocal demand. These plants willbe adapted to regional growingconditions and can be foundgrowing wild. Other plants withsuitable climatic requirements canoften be successfully introducedto create new opportunities.However the individual climaticrequirements of different spicesand herbs are quite diverse andshould be checked individually ona case by case basis with regard tolocal agronomic, environmentaland climatic conditions. Theselection of which spices and herbsmay be suitable for a particularlocality requires careful research.A small selection of spice andherb crops that are successfullygrown by small-scale farmersfollows:PaprikaPaprika is widely grown by smallscale farmers in Africa. Solventextraction plants for paprikaoleoresin have been establishedin a number of African countries.Paprika is a labour intensive cropand can provide high returns perhectare.ChilliLike its fellow capsicum, paprika,chillies are widely grown in CentralAmerica, Asia and Africa. As thechillies are small (particularlythe hotter varieties like AfricanBird’s Eye), reaping is even morelabour intensive than paprika andconsequently the crop is mainlygrown by small-scale farmers.11Spices and herbs for home and marketThe livelihood activity
FIGURE 7 Red chilli peppers for sale at a market(Photo: FAO/ 24731 0952/ O. Asselin)FIGURE 8 Women harvesting chillies in Thailand(Photo: FAO/ FO 5974)12
Spices and herbs for home and marketFIGURE 9 Clove tree in Zanzibar(Photo by M. Jack)ClovesCloves are grown by smallscale farmers in many low lyingtropical areas including Indonesia,Madagascar and Zanzibar. Apartfrom the use of the bud as a spice,the leaf, stem and bud are distilledfor essential oils, and the bud hasmedicinal uses- for example for therelief of toothache.PepperPepper is the most importantworld spice crop. It is grown bysmall-scale farmers in a number ofSouth American, African, Indiansub-continental and Pacific Oceancountries, and does best with highrainfall or supplementary irrigation,and at lower elevations in thetropics. It is labour intensive, and13
FIGURE 10 Mature organic pepper (Piper nigrum) in Zimbabwe(Photo by M. Jack)can be grown in gardens usingleguminous trees as living supports.With adequate fertility and goodplanting material, yields frommature vines, after seven or eightyears, are two kilos of dried blackpepper per vine, or three tonnes/haare possible. The crop needs about2.5 m of rain or irrigation wellspaced over the year, and growswell in humid areas of the tropics upto about 800 m elevation.GeraniumThe leaf and flowering stems aredistilled to produce one of the moreexpensive herbaceous essential oils.It grows well in higher and coolerareas of the tropics, as well as in14temperate climates. Selection ofhigh yielding plant material with achemical composition acceptableto buyers is particularly important,as is the design of distillation plant,harvest times, and leaf moisturecontent prior to distillation. It isa relatively labour intensive cropwhere small-scale farmers may havea competitive advantage.LemongrassThis is grown widely in the tropics,often by small-scale farmers forsmall-scale distillation or for deliveryto contracting distillery plants. Theleaf is used dried in teas (the preciserequirements for small pieces forthe EU whole leaf tea market makes
lemongrass crop is mildly susceptibleto fungal disease – a rust- but isrelatively easy to grow.Spices and herbs for home and marketlabour intensive hand cutting anecessity) and the stems are usedfresh and dried in Asian cookery. TheFIGURE 11 Tending a geranium crop in Rwanda(Photo by M. Jack )FIGURE 12 Chopping lemongrass by hand into sizes specified for the export leaf tea market(Photo by M. Jack )15
SesameSesame pods shatter easily whenready for harvest, making thereaping of this dehiscent crop verylabour intensive. Local markets canbe found for use in baking breadsand buns, and cottage industry tahiniis made in the same way as peanutbutter, using a hand or mechanizedgrinder.FIGURE 13 Sesame in flower, Bolivia(Photo by M. Jack)FIGURE 14 Extension worker taking a cutting from a vanilla plant(Photo: FAO/22984/ J. Koelen)16
FenugreekThis is the only widely tradedleguminous spice, and is useful inimproving soil fertility by fixingnitrogen. The seed is used for itsmedicinal properties and as aningredient in curry powders.Commercialised indigenous plantsThe South African Cape herbrooibos has been very successfullycommercialized as a tea and isexported worldwide. Makoni teain Zimbabwe and the Burkina Fasospice Soumbala are other examplesof such enterprises. Key steps in the enterpriseDetailedrecommendationsoncrop production, post-harvest andprocessing of individual spices andherbs are outside the scope of thisbooklet, but key aspects are covered.More information can be obtainedfrom references in the Selectedfurther reading section at the endof the booklet. A section on organicand Fair Trade is included in thisbooklet, as these certifications areincreasingly worthwhile for smallscale farmers, operating on contractfarming schemes with medium andlarge processors, in many countriesaround the world.CultivationSpices and herbs can often besuccessfully cultivated on a smallscale or sustainably gathered fromthe wild, and for many of these cropsexpensive machinery is not needed.Spice and herb production can easilybe integrated into the small-scalefarm crop mix and some are suitablefor smaller garden productionround the homestead. Methods ofcultivation will vary for differentspices and herbs, but similar issuesarise when it comes to harvestingand post-harvest operations. Specificcrop requirements should be checkedfor any crop being considered.Compared to cereal crops, fertilizerinputs for acceptable yields arelower and selling prices per tonnehigher. Cultivation and harvestingis often labour intensive, whichmay allow small-scale farmers acompetitive advantage.Soil fertility is a key factor insustaining yields and reducingsoil erosion. Crop management17Spices and herbs for home and marketVanillaPollination is very labour intensive,and the crop needs to be cured afterreaping. Plants can grow amongtrees near homesteads, making this ahigh value crop in low lying tropicalenvironments.
and rotation should be organizedappropriately to minimise plantdiseases. Approaches using low costfertility inputs to substitute energyintensive fertilizer with locallyavailable agro-mineral fertilizerssuch as phosphate rock, and the useof legume rotations or inter-planting,are effective. Legume use increasesboth soil organic matter andbiological activity and reduces soilerosion and consequent loss of agronutrients. Placing fertilizers close toseeds rather than broadcasting, andthe use of zero or minimum tillage,also assist in raising yields andreducing erosion.Organic methods are oftensuitable for spices and herbs sincethey are not heavy users of plantnutrients compared to starchcrops, and pests and diseases arenot usually major problems. Ifpermitted organic fertility inputs areused correctly, yield differentialsbetween conventional and organicspice and herb cultivation are oftensmall.FIGURE 15 Farmers hoeing soil around chilli pepper plants that will then be mulched withplastic sheets(Photo: FAO/23185/ C. Shanghua)18
(Photo: FAO/23423/ J. Boethling)HarvestDuring harvest, good hygiene isneeded to keep crop microbialloads as low as possible. Smallscale farmers should be properlytrained in personal hygiene andappropriateharvestpractices.Harvesting should be avoided inwet and high humidity conditionswherever possible. All harvestingequipment should be kept cleanand dry. Preventing soil contactwill also help keep microbial levelsdown. Clean sacking can be usedto cover the ground. Soil should beremoved as soon as possible fromroots and rhizomes after harvesting.Any rotten or damaged materialat harvest and during post-harvestprocessing needs to be discarded soas to prevent cross contamination.Post-harvestGood post-harvest handling is crucialin ensuring a quality product. This isoften an area where small producershave difficulty as a result of lowtechnical expertise and facilities.Depending on the crop and theend-product concerned this willinvolve some or all of the followingoperations: Transportation(field to processing area)This needs to be done as quicklyas possible after harvest in clean19Spices and herbs for home and marketFIGURE 16 Harvesting organic pepper on a small-scale farm in India
dry baskets, sacks or crates. Overstacking, which will cause crushing,will need to be avoided and containersshould allow air circulation. Allequipment should be dried andcleaned between loads. Threshing/cleaningThis can be done by hand winnowingwith sieves or by using mechanicalseparation (see below). WashingWashing may be needed for productswhere dirt and dust are to be removedi.e. pepper spikes or ginger rhizomes.The water used must be potable andchanged regularly. CuringIn the case of vanilla beans, sunwiltin
Preface v Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Spices and herbs 1 Contribution to livelihoods 2 Market potential 3 Purpose of the booklet 5 Spices and herbs for improved livelihoods 7 Spices and herbs at household level 7 Health, nutrition and medicinal value 8 Gend
