Journal article
The Moringa value chain in Ethiopia and the socio-economic impact of pests and diseases
CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, Vol.7(1), pp.1-15
2026
Abstract
Background : Moringa is a multipurpose tree, and the demand for Moringa products is growing significantly. It has gained popularity in southern Ethiopia, where the tree is cultivated for its nutritious food, medicinal properties, cultural significance, and economic value. However, there is limited research examining how pests and diseases affect the Moringa value chain. The aims of this study were to examine the socio-economic factors influencing the level of pest severity among Moringa growers and to estimate the impact of Moringa production on the income of value chain actors. Methods : The study used primary data collected from Moringa value chain actors in the Arba Minch and Derashe districts of the southern Ethiopia Region, encompassing 507 households involved in the Moringa value chain. The study employed value chain mapping to analyse the entire chain and applied a multinomial endogenous switching regression model to address selection bias and assess the impact of Moringa production on the income of value chain actors. Results : Results show that younger individuals, women, singles, and cooperative members are more likely to participate in distribution and processing, while larger households with land and more Moringa plants tend to remain growers. Pest severity varies by location and household age, with Arba Minch growers more likely to experience medium pest severity, likely due to lower insecticide use than in Derashe. Distributors earn significantly less than growers, while processors earn similar incomes. Pest impacts on income were not statistically significant, likely because infestation periods were brief and Moringa is mainly grown for household consumption. Conclusions : The findings provide new insights into the impact of pests and diseases on the Moringa value chain and on the income of actors. The results identify key socio-economic and locational factors associated with pest severity among growers and estimate income differences across value chain actors. This highlights how participation in different stages of the value chain and pest dynamics influence economic outcomes in Moringa production systems. Given Moringa’s importance as a staple vegetable for food security, employment opportunities, and medicinal and cultural benefits, support from the government and NGOs is essential to strengthen the Moringa value chain. In addition, raising awareness of the impacts of insecticides and promoting integrated pest management is crucial for sustainable and resilient Moringa production and should inform policy and technical interventions.
Details
- Title
- The Moringa value chain in Ethiopia and the socio-economic impact of pests and diseases
- Authors
- Wegayehu Fitawek (Corresponding Author) - University of PretoriaAgena Anjulo - Center for International Forestry Research (Ethiopia)Madaline Healey - University of the Sunshine CoastSimon Lawson - University of the Sunshine CoastBrett P. Hurley - University of Pretoria
- Publication details
- CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, Vol.7(1), pp.1-15
- Publisher
- BioMed Central Ltd.
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1079/ab.2026.0041
- ISSN
- 2662-4044
- Copyright note
- © The Authors 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available onrequest from the corresponding author.
- Organisation Unit
- Forest Industries Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991233296902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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