Abstract: Gum arabic is a resin collected from several types of Acacia tree growing most densely in arid and semi-arid lands in East Africa and the Sahel. Kenya is particularly well endowed with gum-yielding trees but exports only small amounts of gum. Methodology: A combination of descriptive livelihood and value chain analysis was used to gain insight into the socio-economic characteristics of collectors and the role of gum arabic in their livelihood. Results: The degree of poverty encountered is considerable with most collectors barely able to maintai...
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Topics: 
Agroforestry