Madd de Casamance: Senegal’s first geographical indication boosts farmers, protects unique wild fruit

A geographical indication is helping Senegalese communities profit from a native fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and holds significant potential for the F&B industry. 

Communities in the Casamance region of southern Senegal have long been cultivating the Madd fruit (Saba senegalensis), but a recent geographical indication (GI) offers the potential to accelerate production and expand new markets for the fruit. A GI is a type of intellectual property label used to certify product origin and qualities, reputation, or characteristics that are essentially linked to that location.

This special designation is because the hard, spherical fruit with a yellow pulp and large seeds, known for its sweet and sour taste, grows wild across West Africa but is specific to the Casamance region. It possesses unique characteristics shaped by its natural environment, specific ripening conditions, and the traditional know-how of local communities from the region, known as the “green lung of Senegal.”

The Madd fruit has developed distinct qualities because of this unique Casamance growing region. 

It can be consumed raw, processed into juices, jams, and sweets, and used as a flavoring in savory dishes, while the fruit’s pulp can be used as purees, concentrated bases, syrups, marmalades, and nectars.

Protected designation

Since June 2024, when the fruit became the first Senegalese product to be officially registered as a Geographical Indication by the African Organization of Intellectual Property, farmers have experienced some relief from buyers’ price pressures.

Historically, producers had little control over pricing and faced growing threats from unsustainable harvesting practices, over-exploitation, and forest fires.

But now, the GI registration offers protection, with only fruit harvested from the designated Casamance region and processed according to strict specifications referred to as “Madd de Casamance” and allowed to carry the GI hallmark of a protected designation.

Gaining the GI and legal protections it affords took many years to establish, as hundreds of producers needed training and quality standards needed improvement. The FAO, alongside the Centre for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development and the World Intellectual Property Organization, guided this process.

Preserving the environmental and cultural systems

Économie Territoire et Développement Services (ETDS), a non-profit organization, implemented the project together with the communities and with the Association for the Protection and Promotion of the Geographical Indication Madd de Casamance.

“The registration of the Madd de Casamance as a geographical indication has allowed this wild fruit and its value chain to be more recognized by the public authorities as a sector that brings about sustainable local growth,” explains Pape Tahirou Kanouté, Executive Director of ETDS.

Because the GI guarantees the fruit’s origin, quality, and traceability, it can be sold at a premium price. According to the FAO, prices for Madd fruit have jumped by an average of 20% since the special designation was awarded. 

Farmers overcoming price challenges

One farmer, Mamadou Baldé, struggled to get good prices before the GI came into effect. 

“I was mainly selling to the traders from Dakar who imposed their price on us,” he says. “The GI has allowed me to expand my professional network in the sector, particularly the processors to whom I deliver fresh GI Madd. This has increased my marketing volumes of Madd.” 

To ensure its long-term sustainability, the Senegalese Forestry Office, together with local village committees, is managing this valuable resource by mapping and monitoring production areas, ensuring forest fire management, launching reforestation efforts, and assisting natural reforestation efforts. In addition, community agreements have been implemented with rural populations involved in forest management.