Shea’s Silent Guardians Restore Uganda’s Traditional Parklands
PADER DISTRICT, Uganda — In northern Uganda’s Pader district, farmers are working to preserve agricultural landscapes that have fed their communities for generations. These shea parklands, where carefully maintained trees grow among food crops, represent centuries of agricultural knowledge at risk of being lost.
Unlike natural forests, these parklands are agricultural landscapes shaped by generations of farmers. According to research submitted to the Global Shea Alliance, communities historically created landscapes that balanced crop production with ecological diversity by selecting which trees to preserve during field clearing, and encouraging their natural regeneration on fallow land. The shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is central to this system.
“The shea nut tree and its products have been very significant in our traditional culture from time immemorial,” says Gillian Josephine P’Ochen in Lapaya village. “In our parklands, we have more than 50 other tree species that are also very significant in the ecosystem. I prefer to call this a paradise in the woods and a pharmaceutical arena. Because when you look at all the tree species, they are medicinal in one way or the other.”
She points to a mature African cherry (Prunus africana) growing alongside shea trees. “This tree’s bark has been used to treat fevers for generations,” she says. “Its thick leaves fall and decompose slowly, enriching the soil for our crops. This is how our ancestors designed these parklands — every species has multiple purposes.” Passion fruit and jackfruit trees add to the landscape’s diversity, providing additional food crops.