Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is a very important spice for rural and urban communities in Burkina
Faso. Cultivation of ginger is mainly practiced by traditional farmers, and its commercialisation offers substantial
income to farmers, traders and processors. The tuber contains enormous medicinal and nutritional potential, and can
thus contribute to qualitative improvement of the diet of consumers. Despite the many advantages of this plant, it
remained underexploited due to insufficient knowledge of cultivation methods, its cycle duration and its water
requirement, which confines the crop mainly to the western region of Burkina Faso. Such under-exploitation has
been exacerbated due to little attention dedicated to ginger research in the country. Therefore, preservation and
improvement of ginger quality represent an important challenge for the various actors of this crop’s industry. The
present review highlights the importance of ginger, its role in crop diversification, its medicinal and nutritional
properties, as well as the future areas of selection and genetic improvement of this species in Burkina Faso.

spice, variability, conservation, breeding