Gaborone, Botswana — In a region addressing the impacts of climate change, Botswana is witnessing a significant shift in its agricultural landscape. Once a crop largely overlooked by farmers, safflower is now emerging as a transformative force, offering a resilient pathway to improved food security, income generation, and agro-industrial development. Safflower’s ability to thrive in arid and semi-arid conditions, where Botswana is characterized by such climates, has made it an attractive option for the nation’s agricultural strategy.
Beyond its high — quality edible oil, the crop has a diverse range of industrial applications, including animal feed, herbal teas, natural dyes, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. This dual-purpose nature has been a game-changer for smallholder farmers, according to Professor Vallantino Emongor, principal investigator in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN). “Safflower is increasingly becoming a leading food-security and industrial crop in an arid and semi-arid country like Botswana, creating greater opportunities to withstand the effects of climate shocks and changing weather patterns across the region. “.
The Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), has been instrumental in promoting safflower production. Their joint support has significantly bolstered research and development efforts, providing smallholder farmers with the tools and knowledge necessary to cultivate the crop effectively.
The Community Action Research Project (CARP), implemented from 2019 to 2024, aimed to increase safflower production, promote sustainable farming practices, develop marketable products, and strengthen the capacity of local farmers.
The initiative, led by Professor Emongor, placed particular emphasis on empowering women, including those affected by climate shocks and gender — based violence. One of the programme’s most significant achievements was the training of 160 women, who were subsequently organized into cooperatives, including the Saff Energy Initiative Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society. These women are involved in producing value-added safflower products, such as cooking oil, herbal teas, natural dyes, cosmetics, and livestock feed.
The initiative demonstrates how agricultural research can translate into practical economic opportunities at the community level. By processing safflower locally instead of selling only the raw crop, farmers can potentially capture a greater share of its value while developing new income streams and supporting rural employment. Research has been central to the programme, with teams evaluating different safflower genotypes for seed yield, oil quality, and petal production.
Fertilizer trials sought to identify efficient nutrient applications for different soil conditions, contributing to a growing body of knowledge on how safflower can be successfully cultivated under Botswana’s environmental conditions.
As Botswana continues to scale up safflower production, the future looks bright for smallholder farmers.
The crop’s potential to enhance food security and economic stability makes it a key component in the country’s agricultural strategy.
The safflower revolution is not just a Botswana story; it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of innovation in the face of adversity.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
—
This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Panafricanvisions
Source: Pan African Visions
