ABSTRACT

Brazil is home to hundreds of fruit tree species. Despite their economic potential, several of these species are being threatened by changing landscapes. A number of efforts are being made to domesticate them, by contributing to their conservation. Feijoa, or pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana, synonymous with Feijoa sellowiana), is such a fruit tree species. Feijoa is native to southern Brazil and northern Uruguay. Since the 1950s, the potential of feijoa has been explored in several countries. The most successful breeding programme resulted in wide-scale commercial production in New Zealand, as well as in Colombia, albeit on a smaller scale. In Brazil, feijoa is cultivated on just a small scale at local level, even though the fruits have a unique flavour and aroma, and are attributed with having a number of medicinal values (Vuotto et al., 2000; Bontempo et al., 2007). Although feijoa is well adapted, its use remains limited. Since it has the potential to contribute to forest conservation and to ensure sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers in rural areas through its use as a non-timber forest product, several activities are being carried out in Brazil in order to promote its use (Ducroquet et al., 2000).