Cultivation practices, socioeconomic contributions, and challenges of Moringa stenopetala in Southern Ethiopia: A systematic review

• Systematically reviewed Moringa stenopetala cultivation, utilization, and socioeconomic contributions in southern Ethiopia. • Identified key of the species. growth characteristics, propagation methods, and harvesting practices • Highlighted nutritional, income, and cultural benefits for local households. • Documented major constraints, including pests, limited processing, weak market linkages, and inadequate institutional support. • Provided comparative insights with Moringa oleifera, showing drought resilience and underutilized commercialization potential. • Offered policy and research recommendations to enhance food security, livelihood resilience, and climate-smart agroforestry. Moringa stenopetala is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, multipurpose indigenous tree species that plays a critical role in food security, nutrition, income generation, and traditional medicine in southern Ethiopia. The species is particularly important in semi-arid areas where alternative food sources are limited during prolonged dry seasons. Despite its socioeconomic and ecological importance, Moringa stenopetala has received limited scientific and policy attention compared to other Moringa species, particularly Moringa oleifera . This systematic review synthesizes existing literature on cultivation practices, processing methods, socioeconomic contributions, and major challenges associated with Moringa stenopetala in southern Ethiopia. Peer-reviewed journal articles, theses, and institutional reports published between 2000 and 2024 were reviewed using Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The review indicates that Moringa stenopetala is well adapted to semi-arid environments and contributes significantly to household nutrition, income generation, livestock feed, and cultural practices. However, insect pests, limited processing technologies, weak market access, and inadequate institutional support remain major constraints to its wider utilization.