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The main aim of the present study was to document the wild plants used by tribal people in Rampachodavaram Division, Alluri Sitaramaraju District, Andhra Pradesh. A total of 50 species belong to 39 and 28 families were documented as wild plants used for varies purposes. These wild resources have enormous prospective benefits to humankind. The ever-increasing population and climate change over the years have contributed substantially to the pressure on plant resources leading to their decline or loss in nature. Hence, there is an immediate need to develop suitable conservation strategies for proper utilization and sustainability of these important resources.

Mexico is one of the countries with the highest number of wild edible mushroom species, which have long been part of the diet of rural communities and ethnic groups. With the recent forms of consumption, it has piqued the interest of urban consumers to include mycological species in their diet. However, information is lacking regarding the influence that neophilia and neophobia have on consumers’ perceptions of edible mushrooms. The objective of the present study was to analyze the perceptions of urban consumers regarding wild edible mushrooms as influenced by neophilia and neophobia. A questionnaire was applied through Facebook. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: free word association, food neophobia scale and socioeconomic characteristics. The sample consisted of 253 consumers who were grouped according to their levels of neophobia. The words obtained through free association were grouped into categories and dimensions. The dimensions were analyzed with the Chi square test, z test and Bonferroni method. Categories were analyzed through correspondence analysis by consumer groups. Three groups were identified: Neophilic, Intermediate and Neophobic. For Neophiliacs, wild edible mushrooms represented a connection with nature. For Intermediates they represented a link with ethnic and rural communities. For Neophobics they were perceived to pose a high risk to their health. This study contributes to knowledge regarding the influence of food neophobia on the perception of wild foods that are not part of the daily diet of urban consumers and can be used to support cultural valorization of wild edible mushrooms for the benefit of collectors., México es uno de los países con más especies de hongos comestibles silvestres que son parte de la alimentación de comunidades rurales y grupos étnicos. Con las recientes formas de consumo, ha crecido el interés de los consumidores urbanos por incluir las especies micológicas en su alimentación. Sin embargo, falta información sobre la influencia que tienen la neofilia y neofobia en la percepción de estos consumidores. El objetivo fue analizar las percepciones de los consumidores urbanos sobre los hongos comestibles silvestres desde las neofilias y neofobias. Se aplicó un cuestionario a través de redes sociales que tuvo tres apartados: libre asociación de palabras, escala de neofobia alimentaria y características socioeconómicas. La muestra fue de 253 consumidores que fueron agrupados de acuerdo con sus niveles de neofobia en neofílicos, Intermedios y neofóbicos. Las palabras obtenidas con la libre asociación se agruparon en categorías y dimensiones. Las dimensiones se analizaron con la prueba de Chi cuadrada, prueba z y método Bonferroni, las categorías con análisis de correspondencia por grupos identificados. Para los neofílicos los hongos comestibles silvestres representaron una conexión con la naturaleza, para los intermedios representaron un vínculo con comunidades étnicas y rurales, en neofóbicos supusieron un alto riesgo para su salud. El estudio contribuye al conocimiento sobre la influencia de la neofobia alimentaria en la percepción de alimentos silvestres que no forman parte de la alimentación diaria de consumidores urbanos y puede ser utilizado para apoyar procesos de valorización de los hongos comestibles silvestres en beneficio de las comunidades recolectoras.

Indigenous food systems of Pacific Small Island Developing Countries contain vast biological and cultural diversity. However, a nutrition transition is underway, characterized by shifts away from traditional diets in favour of imported and modern foods, contributing to some of the highest rates of obesity and Diabetes Type 2 Mellitus in the world. Using a mixed method approach, this study aimed to assess dietary agrobiodiversity’s relationship with nutrition indicators related to diet quality and anthropometrics within the context of the rural and Indigenous food system of Baniata village, located in the Western Province of Solomon Islands (Melanesia). A secondary aim was to evaluate the contribution of agrobiodiversity from the local food system to diet quality. A comprehensive nutrition survey was administered to the women primarily responsible for cooking of randomly selected households (n = 30). Additionally, 14 participatory focus group discussions captured the historical narrative of food system transitions, were hosted over a period of seven days, and included men, women and youth. Dietary intakes of the participants were reported below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for several essential nutrients, including protein (53%), calcium (96.6%), vitamin B1 (86.6%), vitamin B2 (80%), vitamin A (80%), zinc (40%) and fibre (77%). Focus group participants built a timeline of key historical and climatic transitions perceived to be drivers of dietary shifts away from traditional foods and towards imported and processed foods. Participants identified 221 species and varieties of agrobiodiverse foods available for cultivation or wild collection. Based on 24 h diet recalls, 87 were found to be utilised. Participants who consumed foods of a wider diversity of species richness had a higher probability of achieving recommended nutrition intakes and a lower body fat percentage (r2 = 0.205; p = 0.012). Our results suggest a nutrition transition is underway, and strategies harnessing traditional knowledge of nutrient-dense, agrobiodiverse foods can help improve food and nutrition security.

To fight against food problems of increasing population, need to screen wild food plants, particularly tuberous plants to make them palatable foods. Therefore, there is urgent need to understand and document how to remove the anti-nutritional factors from wild edible tuberous plants by the tribal communities. A survey was made during 2019-2020 to document the traditional methods to remove anti-nutritional factors from tuberous plant in Odisha, India. 8 wild edible tuberous plants and the traditional ways to remove anti-nutritional factors are documented here along with their uses. The present study highlights the importance of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) to develop future food from wild food plants.

Significance Two billion people across the planet suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Dietary diversification is key to solving this problem, yet many food and nutrition security policies, especially in low- and middle-income countries, still focus on increasing agricultural production and access to sufficient calories as the main solution. But calories are not all equal. Here, we show how deforestation in Tanzania caused a reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption (of 14 g per person per day) and thus vitamin A adequacy of diets. Using a combination of regression and weighting analyses to generate quasi-experimental quantitative estimates of the impacts of deforestation on people’s food intake, our study establishes a causal link between deforestation and people’s dietary quality.

Abstract The objective of this study is to better quantify the occurrence, intake, and potential risk from Hg in fungi traditionally foraged in SW China. The concentrations and intakes of Hg were measured from 42 species including a “hard” flesh type polypore fungi and a” soft” flesh type edible species that are used in traditional herbal medicine, collected during the period 2011–2017. Three profiles of forest topsoil from the Zhenyuan site in 2015 and Changning and Dulong sites in 2016 were also investigated. The concentrations of Hg in composite samples of polypore fungi were usually below 0.1 mg kg−1 dry weight (dw) but higher levels, 0.11 ± 0.01 and 0.24 ± 0.00 mg kg−1 dw, were noted in Ganoderma applanatum and Amauroderma niger respectively, both from the Nujiang site near the town of Lanping in NW Yunnan. Hg concentrations in Boletaceae species were usually well above 1.0 mg kg−1 dw and as high as 10 mg kg−1 dw. The quality of the mushrooms in this study in view of contamination with Hg showed a complex picture. The “worst case” estimations showed probable intake of Hg from 0.006 μg kg−1 body mass (bm) (“hard” type flesh) to 0.25 μg kg−1 bm (“soft” flesh) on a daily basis for capsulated products, from 17 to 83 μg kg−1 bm (“soft” flesh) in a meal (“hard” type flesh mushrooms are not cooked while used in traditional herbal medicine after processing), and from 0.042 to 1.7 and 120 to 580 μg kg−1 bm on a weekly basis, respectively. Graphical abstract Key points • Polypore species were slightly contaminated with Hg. • Hg maximal content in the polypore was −1dry weight. • Many species from Boletaceae family in Yunnan showed elevated Hg. • Locals who often eat Boletus may take Hg at a dose above the daily reference dose.

Peer reviewed: True, Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Yuichiro Kudo for providing additional details for the Database of Plant Macrofossils from Archaeological Sites in Japan, Kie Yi for supporting the additional data collection, and the ENCOUNTER team (Leah Brainerd, Simon Carrignon, and Oliver Craig) for the continuous support., We examine the changing importance of wild starch rich plant staples, predominantly tree nuts, in early agricultural societies in East Asia and Europe, focusing on Korea, Japan, and Britain. A comparative review highlights variations in the importance of wild plant staples compared to domesticated crops. The Korean Middle to Late Chulmun periods (c. 3,500–1,500 BC) was characterized by a high reliance on nuts alongside millet. This declines with the transition to rice agriculture, but remains significant during the Mumun period (c. 1,500–300 BC). In Japan, the arrival of rice and millets in the Yayoi Period (c. 1,000 BC−250 AD) saw continued evidence for high levels of reliance on wild resources, which declines only in the Kofun and early historical periods. In Early Neolithic Britain (c. 4,000–3,300 BC) cereal agriculture is accompanied by high evidence for wild plant foods. But during the Middle to Late Neolithic (3,300–c. 2,400/2,200 BC) cereals were abandoned on the mainland with hazelnuts becoming a prominent plant staple. Agriculture returned in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, followed by a strong decline in wild plant food use during the Middle to Late Bronze Age (1,700–700 BC). Such patterns have previously been attributed to the slow adoption of farming by indigenous peoples, with a continued reliance on wild resources. In light of evidence demonstrating that the dispersal of agriculture was largely driven by a mixture of demic-diffusion and introgression of hunter-gatherers into agricultural groups, a reinterpretation of the role of wild foods is needed. It is argued that the relative importance of wild plant staples provides an indicator of the stability and dependability of agricultural and social systems. A heavy reliance on wild foods in early agricultural societies is tied to the slow adaptation of domesticated crops to new environments, where agricultural and social landscapes are yet to be firmly established, and social systems that could mitigate for poor harvests and storage were often absent. The retained lengthy persistence of wild plant staples in East Asian subsistence systems compared to the British Isles likely reflects differences in the ecological and labor demands for rice compared to Western Asiatic cereals.

Indigenous Solomon Islanders, like many living in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), are currently experiencing the global syndemic&mdash, the combined threat of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change. This mixed-method study aimed to assess nutrition transitions and diet quality by comparing three geographically unique rural and urban indigenous Solomon Islands populations. Participants in rural areas sourced more energy from wild and cultivated foods, consumed a wider diversity of foods, were more likely to meet WHO recommendations of &gt, 400g of non-starchy fruits and vegetables daily, were more physically active, and had significantly lower body fat, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) when compared to urban populations. Urban populations were found to have a reduced ability to self-cultivate agri-food products or collect wild foods, and therefore consumed more ultra-processed foods (classified as NOVA 4) and takeout foods, and overall had less diverse diets compared to rural populations. Clear opportunities to leverage traditional knowledge and improve the cultivation and consumption of underutilized species can assist in building more sustainable and resilient food systems while ensuring that indigenous knowledge and cultural preferences are respected.

Wild fruits have been an integral part of the diet of rural inhabitants in tropical America. In Colombia, information on the use of wild fruits appears scattered in the ethnobotanical literature and herbaria collections, limiting the design of conservation and use strategies. This review aims to synthesize information about the wild fruit species used in Colombia. We reviewed herbarium collections and literature references. We recorded 703 species in 76 families, among which Fabaceae (66 species), Arecaceae (58), and Passifloraceae (44) were the most diverse. The genera with more species were Inga (42), Passiflora (42), and Pouteria (21). Most species are widely distributed in tropical America, and only 45 (6.4 %) are endemic to Colombia. The regions with the largest number of species were the Amazon (388), Andes (144), and Pacific (111). Most of the recorded species, 613 (87.2 %), are exclusively wild, whereas 90 (12.8 %) are wild or cultivated. Wild edible fruits have a high potential for agriculture, novel products and nutritional improvement; however, it is vital to create strategies to revalorize their use. Resumen Los frutos silvestres han sido una parte integral de la dieta de los habitantes rurales del trópico americano. En Colombia, la información acerca del uso de los frutos silvestres se encuentra dispersa en la literatura etnobotánica y en colecciones de herbario, limitando el diseño de estrategias de conservación y uso. Esta revisión tiene como propósito sintetizar información acerca de los frutos silvestres usados en Colombia. Se revisaron colecciones de herbario y referencias de literatura. Se registraron 703 especies en 76 familias, entre las cuales Fabaceae (66 especies), Arecaceae (58) y Passifloraceae (44) son las más diversas. Los géneros con más especies fueron Inga (42), Passiflora (42) y Pouteria (21). La mayoría de las especies tienen amplia distribución en América tropical, y solo 45 (6.4 %) son endémicas de Colombia. Las regiones con el mayor número de especies son Amazonia (388), Andes (144) y Pacífico (111). La mayoría de especies registradas, 613 (87.2 %), son exclusivamente silvestres, mientras que 90 (12.8 %) son silvestres o cultivadas. Los frutos silvestres tienen un alto potencial para la agricultura, para desarrollar productos novedosos y para mejoramiento nutricional; sin embargo, es necesario crear estrategias para revalorizar su uso.

Changing biophysical conditions due to amplified climate change in northern latitudes has significant implications for species' habitat and populations and can dramatically alter interactions between harvesters and local resources. Tribal, regional, and state governments, federal agencies, and other local planning entities have begun documenting observations of changing harvest conditions and the information necessary for communities to adapt to shifting resource availability. We identify and evaluate what stakeholders are saying about wild foods in the context of climate change information needs in Alaska through a review of published grey literature (n = 87). Documents consistently expressed that climate change was impacting habitat conditions, resource distribution, and the abundance of wild foods. They solicited more information on biophysical processes (e.g., sea ice conditions) and population-level responses (e.g., shift in migration patterns). They also recommended that future projects focus on information that will improve food security, travel access, and community well-being. Documents suggested that communities have successfully sustained harvest practices, but most current adaptations are localized decisions being made by harvesters to manage the risks of current climate change. Strategies include finding new areas to hunt, substituting harvest species with other wild foods, or using new modes of travel. Documents also identified several adaptation strategies that still need to be implemented, and are dependent on actions by actors at larger scales; these strategies include legal, policy, and management actions to help reduce climate change impacts to wild food harvest. This review of the grey literature complements the climate-change literature by describing information needs of Alaskan wild food harvesters as well as providing tangible suggestions about how to improve adaptation and management strategies for harvesters grappling with changing resource conditions in the Arctic.

Local people in rural areas of the tropics depend on forests for a range of food resources, including protein-rich edible caterpillars, among them Imbrasia oyemensis and Cirina forda, which are important for nutrition and income. Sapelli (Entandrophragma cylindricum), the African mahogany, and Tali (Erythrophleum suaveolens) are food sources for these caterpillars; they are also among the most important timber species harvested from Congo Basin forests. This study quantified the yield of caterpillars from harvestable and precommercial sizes of trees of these two timber species to better understand the impact of logging on the availability of edible caterpillars to local people, and the implications for managing both timber and non-timber resources in industrial timber concessions. Caterpillars were collected and weighed beneath 50 Sapelli trees 23–190 cm DBH and 170 Tali trees 22–174 cm DBH on two timber concessions, from mid-August to mid-September, over two years. Caterpillars were found to descend from the trees during 5 days each year, and quantities varied between years. In both sample years, yields were significantly higher from harvestable trees larger than the minimum cutting diameter than from precommercial trees. Each harvestable Sapelli tree (≥ 80 cm DBH), yielded an average of 11.3 kg fresh weight of I. oyemensis year-1; smaller, precommercial trees yielded 5.4 kg tree−1year−1. Each harvestable Tali tree (≥ 60 cm DBH) yielded an average of 9.1 kg of C. forda year−1, as compared to 5.7 kg tree−1year−1 from precommercial trees. This means that industrial timber harvesting, which removes trees larger than the minimum cutting diameter, has a disproportionate effect on the availability of caterpillars. However, trees below the minimum cutting diameter also yield caterpillars, and may occur at higher densities. Guidelines that limit harvesting on steep slopes or near watercourses, or that call for retaining large trees as seed sources, also safeguard caterpillar yields. However, multiple resource management should consider proactive measures, which could include zoning areas near villages as sources of edible caterpillars, and protecting those trees from logging.

Wild foods are recognized to contribute to diet and food security through enhancing the availability of local, diverse, and nonmarket food sources. We investigated the contribution of wild foods to diet, food security, and cultural identity in a Native American[1] community in the context of climate change. Structured interviews were conducted with low-income residents of the Flathead Indian Reser­vation[2] in Northwestern Montana who participate in the federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, also known by participants as ‘Commodities.’ Responses to structured questions were analyzed for frequency, and open-ended responses were coded and analyzed to identify prevalent themes. Our analysis indicated that half of participants were food insecure. Approximately 28% of participants engaged in at least one wild food procurement activity, including hunting, fishing, and harvesting. On average, participants who engaged in one or more wild food procure­ment activities were more food secure than those who did not. Results highlight the multidimen­sional valuation of wild foods by participants including taste, freshness, nutritional quality, being a traditional community practice, and providing a sense of self-sufficiency. Climate change is per­ceived by participants to be adversely impacting wild food systems due to increased variability in seasonality and precipitation and increased inci­dences of wild fire. Findings point to the need for community-based strategies to strengthen wild food knowledge toward enhancing food sover­eignty in Native American communities, in the context of climate change. [1] The term ‘Native American’ was determined to be the preferred term for referencing the Native American community in this study, based on consultation from our community advisory board. [2] The term ‘Flathead Indian Reservation’ was determined to be the preferred term for referencing the location in which this study was held, based on consultation from our community advisory board. See the press release for this article.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s biophysical environment has not been particularly conducive to crop agriculture. The province’s agricultural industry accounts for only 1% of its GDP. The number of farms, farm operators, farmland, and cropland within Newfoundland and Labrador are all experiencing decline outside of national averages. This has led to great provincial interest in increasing agricultural capacity in the province. A potential avenue for agricultural development is strengthening the province’s wild blueberry industry. Through a mixed methods case study that involved a geographic information system-based multi-criteria land suitability analysis and interviews, this research explores the potential for this industry and the different challenges and values that may impact it. This thesis analyzes the biophysical potential for this industry through the manipulation of various geospatial layers to determine suitability for commercial wild lowbush blueberry farming. This thesis also engages with perceptions of the barriers that impede the wild lowbush blueberry industry in Newfoundland as well as the potential opportunities to strengthen this sector. Finally, it examines the socio-cultural values surrounding wild lowbush blueberries in Newfoundland and cautions that these values may be more important than the potential market value created through blueberry commercialization

Wild foods and other nonfood NTFPs are important for improving food security and supplementing incomes in rural peoples' livelihoods. However, studies on the importance of NTFPs to rural communities are often limited to a few select sites and are conducted in areas that are already known to have high rates of NTFP use. To address this, we examined the role of geographic and household level variables in determining whether a household would report collecting wild foods and other nonfood NTFP across 25 agro-ecological landscapes in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Ghana. The aim of this study was to contribute to the literature on NTFP collection in Africa and to better understand where people depend on these resources by drawing on a broad range of sites that were highly variable in geographic characteristics as well as rates of NTFP collection to provide a better understanding of the determinants of NTFP collection. We found that geographic factors, such as the presence of forests, non-forest natural areas like grasslands and shrublands, and lower population density significantly predict whether a household will report collecting NTFP, and that these factors have greater explanatory power than household characteristics, Highlights • Data was collected from 751 households located across 4 African countries. • Geographic factors significantly predict whether households collect NTFP. • Natural land cover types were associated with collecting wild food NTFP. • Low population densities were associated with nonfood NTFP.

There is growing recognition of the contribution of wild foods to local diets, nutrition, and culture. Yet disaggregation of understanding of wild food use by gender and age is limited. We used a mixed methods approach to determine the types, frequencies, and perceptions of wild foods used and sold by children in four villages in southern Malawi that have different levels of deforestation. Household and individual dietary diversity scores are low at all sites. All households consume one or more wild foods. Across the four sites, children listed 119 wild foods, with a wider variety at the least deforested sites than the most deforested ones. Older children can name more wild foods than younger ones. More children from poor households sell wild foods than from well-off households. Several reasons were provided for the consumption or avoidance of wild foods (most commonly taste, contribution to health, limited alternatives, hunger, availability, local taboos).

Traditional harvest practices of the harvesting and sharing of fish, wildlife, and other wild resources are an integral source of food security that support physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, education, socio-economic development, and cultural identity of Indigenous communities in Interior Alaska. Many significant changes, including climate change, are impacting this way of life and challenging secure access to foods vital for sustenance and cultural preservation. We use a case study approach to develop a holistic and place-based definition of traditional harvest practices of Indigenous commu­nities in rural Interior Alaska that expands upon commonly accepted definitions of food security. This definition emphasizes the role of ecological health, culture, and decision-making power in strengthening food security and sovereignty. We also highlight how multistakeholer partnerships foster capacity building that can support commu­nities in their efforts to advocate for food security and sovereignty. See the press release for this article.

Objective:We collected dietary records over the course of nine months to comprehensively characterize the consumption patterns of Malagasy people living in remote rainforest areas of north-eastern Madagascar.Design:The present study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study to estimate dietary diversity and nutrient intake for a suite of macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins for 152 randomly selected households in two communities.Setting:Madagascar, with over 25 million people living in an area the size of France, faces a multitude of nutritional challenges. Micronutrient-poor staples, especially rice, roots and tubers, comprise nearly 80 % of the Malagasy diet by weight. The remaining dietary components (including wild foods and animal-source foods) are critical for nutrition. We focus our study in north-eastern Madagascar, characterized by access to rainforest, rice paddies and local agriculture.Participants:We enrolled men, women and children of both sexes and all ages in a randomized sample of households in two communities.Results:Although the Household Dietary Diversity Score and Food Consumption Score reflect high dietary diversity, the Minimum Dietary Diversity–Women indicator suggests poor micronutrient adequacy. The food intake data confirm a mixed nutritional picture. We found that the median individual consumed less than 50 % of his/her age/sex-specific Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamins A, B12, D and E, and Ca, and less than 100 % of his/her EAR for energy, riboflavin, folate and Na.Conclusions:Malnutrition in remote communities of north-eastern Madagascar is pervasive and multidimensional, indicating an urgent need for comprehensive public health and development interventions focused on providing nutritional security.

Globally, approximately one billion people benefit from contributions of wild foods to their food security and dietary diversity. Wild foods are known to be important in rural communities in terms of food and micronutrient provision, diversifying diets, reducing vulnerability to non-communicable diseases and overall health. However, the potential contribution of wild foods towards food security and dietary diversity in urban food systems has been largely overlooked. This study examined the contribution of wild foods to household dietary diversity in two towns in South Africa, based on a survey of 137 households. Household diets were quite diverse, with half (51%) having consumed &ge, 8 food groups, 39% consumed 6 or 7 food groups, and only 10% recorded &le, 5 food groups in the previous 48 h. Wild foods were prevalent across the sample, with 62% of the households consuming them to some degree. Wild vegetables and fruits were the most common wild foods, consumed by 96 and 79% of the households, respectively. Although wild foods had limited significance on overall dietary diversity, they exhibited substantial contributions within particular food groups. For example, the consumption of vegetables and oil and fats was most prevalent among households consuming wild foods than those who did not. The findings show that wild foods could contribute towards diversifying urban diets at a micro-level, within particular food groups consumed, such as vegetables and fruits. Hence, wild foods are important in ameliorating the monotonous diets of some households and in turn promoting dietary diversity.

The burden of food insecurity and malnutrition is a severe problem experienced by many poor households and children under the age of five are at high risk. The objective of the study was to examine household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and child nutritional status in relation to local context which influences access to and ability to grow food in South Africa and explore the links and associations between these and household socio-economic status. Using a 48-h dietary recall method, we interviewed 554 women from randomly selected households along a rural–urban continuum in three towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. The Household Dietary Diversity Scores (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) tools were used to measure household dietary diversity and food insecurity, respectively. Anthropometric measurements with 216 children (2–5 years) from the sampled households were conducted using height-for-age and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as indicators of stunting and wasting, respectively. The key findings were that mean HDDS declined with decreasing agro-ecological potential from the wettest site (8.44 ± 1.72) to the other two drier sites (7.83 ± 1.59 and 7.76 ± 1.63). The mean HFIAS followed the opposite trend. Stunted growth was the dominant form of malnutrition detected in 35% of children and 18% of children were wasted. Child wasting was greatest at the site with lowest agro-ecological potential. Children from households with low HDDS had large MUAC which showed an inverse association among HDDS and obesity. Areas with agro-ecological potential had lower prevalence of food insecurity and wasting in children. Agro-ecological potential has significant influence on children’s nutritional status, which is also related to household food security and socio-economic status. Dependence on food purchasing and any limitations in households’ income, access to land and food, can result in different forms of malnutrition in children. Responses to address malnutrition in South Africa need to be prioritized and move beyond relying on food security and nutritional-specific interventions, but rather on nutrition-specific and sensitive programs and approaches; and building an enabling environment. Land availability, agriculture (including climate-smart agriculture especially in drier areas), and wild foods usage should be promoted.

Research in historical ethnobiology can provide information about little known and seemingly insignificant practices in the past. The utilization of insect products as a foodstuff is a rare custom in Europe and data on this practice are scarce. From Nordic countries, we have information about producing ant schnapps with the help of the red wood ant, Formica rufa L., which has been used both as a remedy and as a drink. Honey and beeswax were once gathered in the forests from wild honey bee colonies, but have been replaced with products from the domestic honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Another product, once a well-known and appreciated sweet, especially among children, was nectar gathered from bumblebee nests. Collecting the nectar from bumblebee nests is an activity that has been practiced within living memory in many parts of the Nordic countries. This seems to be an ancient practice dating back at least a millennium that has survived until recently. It is an example of how methods and sources established within historical ethnobiology can be used to gain knowledge on the past as well as possible future uses of available biological resources.

Durante las últimas dos décadas se han desarrollado muchas iniciativas para el rescate y la valoración de la diversidad de plantas útiles subutilizadas en distintas regiones del mundo. En Colombia se han realizado varias investigaciones etnobotánicas, sin embargo, se requiere ampliar las investigaciones sobre el uso de plantas comestibles por comunidades afrodescendientes. El objetivo global de la investigación era contribuir a la identificación de los saberes de las comunidades afrodescendientes de la Costa Caribe colombiana con respecto a la utilización, sistemas de manejo y producción de las plantas comestibles tradicionales. Este artículo se enfoca en la pregunta de cómo se distribuyen los saberes y cambian las prácticas de uso por generación y género de las plantas en tres comunidades del departamento de Bolívar. A través de una actividad con familias sobre el reconocimiento de 91 plantas se evidenció una pérdida intergeneracional de saberes y tradiciones de uso. Los porcentajes altos de no consumo y/o de consumo no reciente en combinación con las explicaciones dadas en grupos focales sugieren un declive en el uso alimenticio de alrededor de 20 plantas, en su mayoría silvestres y semisilvestres. Las razones dadas variaban según las plantas e incluían percepciones de cambio en las costumbres de producción, preparación de alimentos y consumo, y desaparición de ciertas plantas a causa de cambios en las prácticas de gestión del territorio y de los recursos naturales. Los adultos mayores pueden reconocer más plantas de las que usan. Los hombres reportaron niveles de reconocimiento más altos en comparación a las mujeres para el caso de 28 especies, principalmente de estatus silvestre. Los resultados muestran que el diseño de estrategias exitosas de fomento de procesos de desarrollo rural sostenible que pongan en valor la gran diversidad de plantas comestibles de la región necesita un enfoque diferencial según usuarios y recursos.AbstractIn the last two decades a significant number of initiatives have been undertaken to promote and revalue the diversity of useful underutilized plants in various regions around the world. In Colombia there have been various ethnobotanical studies, however, there is still a need for further research, particularly on the use of food plants in Afro-descendant communities. The overall objective of this research project was to contribute to the documentation of the use of traditional food plants and knowledge of the management and production systems by Afro-descendant communities in the Colombian Caribbean coastal region. This article focuses specifically on the question of how knowledge is distributed and how use practices of the plants change by generation and gender in three communities in the department of Bolívar. Through a recognition exercise, undertaken with families on 91 plants, evidence was found of intergenerational loss of knowledge and traditions of use. High percentages of reported non-consumption and/or not recent consumption combined with explanations given in focus groups, suggest a decline in the food use of about 20 species, the majority of them having wild and semi-wild status. The reasons given varied depending on the plant species and included perceptions of change in production and food preparation and consumption practices and the disappearance of certain plants because of changes in land use and natural resource management. Older respondents recognized more plants than they actually used. Recognition rates by men were higher in comparison to women in the case of 28 plants, mainly wild resources. These results highlight that the design of successful strategies to promote sustainable rural development processes which revalue the significant iversity of food plants in the region requires a differential focus depending on the user and the type of resource. Durante las últimas dos décadas se han desarrollado muchas iniciativas para el rescate y la valoración de la diversidad de plantas útiles subutilizadas en distintas regiones del mundo. En Colombia se han realizado varias investigaciones etnobotánicas, sin embargo, se requiere ampliar las investigaciones sobre el uso de plantas comestibles por comunidades afrodescendientes. El objetivo global de la investigación era contribuir a la identificación de los saberes de las comunidades afrodescendientes de la Costa Caribe colombiana con respecto a la utilización, sistemas de manejo y producción de las plantas comestibles tradicionales. Este artículo se enfoca en la pregunta de cómo se distribuyen los saberes y cambian las prácticas de uso por generación y género de las plantas en tres comunidades del departamento de Bolívar. A través de una actividad con familias sobre el reconocimiento de 91 plantas se evidenció una pérdida intergeneracional de saberes y tradiciones de uso. Los porcentajes altos de no consumo y/o de consumo no reciente en combinación con las explicaciones dadas en grupos focales sugieren un declive en el uso alimenticio de alrededor de 20 plantas, en su mayoría silvestres y semisilvestres. Las razones dadas variaban según las plantas e incluían percepciones de cambio en las costumbres de producción, preparación de alimentos y consumo, y desaparición de ciertas plantas a causa de cambios en las prácticas de gestión del territorio y de los recursos naturales. Los adultos mayores pueden reconocer más plantas de las que usan. Los hombres reportaron niveles de reconocimiento más altos en comparación a las mujeres para el caso de 28 especies, principalmente de estatus silvestre. Los resultados muestran que el diseño de estrategias exitosas de fomento de procesos de desarrollo rural sostenible que pongan en valor la gran diversidad de plantas comestibles de la región necesita un enfoque diferencial según usuarios y recursos.AbstractIn the last two decades a significant number of initiatives have been undertaken to promote and revalue the diversity of useful underutilized plants in various regions around the world. In Colombia there have been various ethnobotanical studies, however, there is still a need for further research, particularly on the use of food plants in Afro-descendant communities. The overall objective of this research project was to contribute to the documentation of the use of traditional food plants and knowledge of the management and production systems by Afro-descendant communities in the Colombian Caribbean coastal region. This article focuses specifically on the question of how knowledge is distributed and how use practices of the plants change by generation and gender in three communities in the department of Bolívar. Through a recognition exercise, undertaken with families on 91 plants, evidence was found of intergenerational loss of knowledge and traditions of use. High percentages of reported non-consumption and/or not recent consumption combined with explanations given in focus groups, suggest a decline in the food use of about 20 species, the majority of them having wild and semi-wild status. The reasons given varied depending on the plant species and included perceptions of change in production and food preparation and consumption practices and the disappearance of certain plants because of changes in land use and natural resource management. Older respondents recognized more plants than they actually used. Recognition rates by men were higher in comparison to women in the case of 28 plants, mainly wild resources. These results highlight that the design of successful strategies to promote sustainable rural development processes which revalue the significant iversity of food plants in the region requires a differential focus depending on the user and the type of resource.

Foods and foodscapes structure and inform our experiences as ethnobiologists and ethnographers, the way we interact with and learn from teachers in study sites, and how relations between peoples and between people and landscapes unfold over time. This short memoir essay revisits my education in foodscapes with the Ayoreo community of Jesudi in the Paraguayan Chaco through stories and experiences of food procurement and distribution. From landscapes in which food was free for all (non-monetized) to contemporary encroachments and land-grabbing in the Chaco for globally-connected markets, the transformations have been rapid and witnessed by Ayoreo and other dispossessed indigenous groups.

International audience; The consumption of greens is reported as being very minor among Amazonian Indians. The authors of this article present a new review of this subject, based on fieldwork with Amerindians and other populations in different parts of the Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Written sources on Brazilian, Peruvian, Columbian and Venezuelan Amazon were also reviewed. The consumption of cultivated, semi-cultivated and wild species of greens was taken into account here, as the data specific to wild greens is very scarce. It is confirmed that greens are not commonly eaten among native Amazonians and that some ethnic groups do not consume them at all. The consumed species are usually young shoots of weeds or cassava leaves. Common in the Belém region are some specific aromatic plants, which have been diffused to other parts of the Amazon, together with introduced plants such as kale and coriander. Migrants from Northeastern Brazil settled in the Amazon consume some cultivated greens, especially aromatic plants. Maroons are the ones who use more greens in their diet. Native Amazonian people, who supplement agriculture with game and fish, follow a hunter-gatherer pattern, preferring wild fruit and tubers to greens.

In the present study, Hg bioconcentration by Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) mushroom was investigated. Total Hg content of fruiting bodies and topsoil (0-10 cm layer) were determined by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy. For ten geographically distant sampling sites of Poland, Hg ranged from 0.91 ± 0.28 to 2.4 ± 0.4 (overall range 0.57-4.5) μg/g dry weight in the carpophores and 0.012 ± 0.002 to 0.063 ± 0.024 (overall range 0.0077-0.12) μg/g dw in topsoil. The mean values of the bioconcentration factor ranged from 28 ± 11 to 110 ± 36 (range 9.6-280) indicating that L. perlatum effectively accumulates Hg and could be classified as a Hg accumulator. Total Hg content of L. perlatum to some degree seems to be determined both by degree of soil contamination and metal bioavailability to mycelium and also the rate of transfer and accumulation in fruiting bodies at the sites surveyed. Summarized and discussed are published data available on total Hg and methylmercury in L. perlatum.

With more than three-quarters of its workforce employed in agriculture, Malawi is highly vulnerable to any adverse events affecting the agriculture sector, and agricultural risks are ever present in the country. Agricultural risks can obstruct development and enforce poverty traps, particularly for a country as reliant on agriculture as Malawi. Because of the size of the sector in the economy and the importance of agricultural products for export, agricultural growth correlates closely with gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Malawi’s effort to manage risks and to provide relief in response to adverse events diverts significant resources from longer-term development investments. To better understand the dynamics of agricultural risks and identify appropriate responses, incorporate an agricultural risk perspective into decision making, and build the capacity of local stakeholders in risk assessment and management, the agricultural risk management team (ARMT) of the agriculture and environment services department of the World Bank conducted an agriculture sector risk assessment. The purpose of this report is to assess existing agricultural risks, prioritize them according to their frequency and impacts on the sector, and identify areas of risk-management solutions that need deeper specialized attention. Three levels of risks were assessed: production risks, market risks, and enabling environment risks to selected supply chains. The report takes a quantitative and qualitative approach to assessing risk. This report is structured as follows: chapter one gives introduction and context. Chapter two provides an overview of the agriculture sector and the selected crops. Chapter three maps the production, market, and enabling environment risks to food crops and export crops. Chapter four looks at the adverse impacts of agricultural risks in terms of losses, both at the national level and for different regions. Chapter five prioritizes the risks in terms of their frequency and the severity of their impacts, and discusses solutions based on this prioritization, ongoing risk-management activities, and the feedback from the consultative workshop.

Almost every ecosystem has been amended so that plants and animals can be used as food, fibre, fodder, medicines, traps and weapons. Historically, wild plants and animals were sole dietary components for hunter–gatherer and forager cultures. Today, they remain key to many agricultural communities. The mean use of wild foods by agricultural and forager communities in 22 countries of Asia and Africa (36 studies) is 90–100 species per location. Aggregate country estimates can reach 300–800 species (e.g. India, Ethiopia, Kenya). The mean use of wild species is 120 per community for indigenous communities in both industrialized and developing countries. Many of these wild foods are actively managed, suggesting there is a false dichotomy around ideas of the agricultural and the wild: hunter–gatherers and foragers farm and manage their environments, and cultivators use many wild plants and animals. Yet, provision of and access to these sources of food may be declining as natural habitats come under increasing pressure from development, conservation-exclusions and agricultural expansion. Despite their value, wild foods are excluded from official statistics on economic values of natural resources. It is clear that wild plants and animals continue to form a significant proportion of the global food basket, and while a variety of social and ecological drivers are acting to reduce wild food use, their importance may be set to grow as pressures on agricultural productivity increase.

International audience; The Opuntia genus, whose origin is in Mexico where several species grow wild, is taxonomically diverse and has become an important crop worldwide. The aim of this work was to assess the molecular composition of five Opuntia species and three different varieties of each taxonomically identified species with different domestication gradients (from the wildest to the most domesticated O. ficus-indica). Data were subjected to chemometric evaluation using principal component analysis (PCA), which showed that O. ficus-indica seems to fall far outside of the current domestication gradient that has been proposed, and its ancestor is still unclear. Phenolic compounds showed major (eucomic acid, kaempferol 3-Omicron-robinobioside-7-Omicron-arabinofuranoside, isorhamnetin 3-Omicron-galactoside, and isorhamnetin 3-Omicron-rhamnoside-7-Omicron-(rhamnosyl-hexoside)) and minor compounds that were present only in wild (kaempferol 3-Omicron-arabinofuranoside) or domesticated (quercetin 3-Omicron-rhamnosyl-(1 -> 2)-[rhamnosyl-(1 -> 6)]-glucoside) species. This information could be very useful for authentication of Opuntia species and the identification of species with the highest potential as sources of compounds with nutritional and therapeutic properties.

The lack of dietary diversity is a severe problem experienced by most poor households globally. In particular; women of reproductive age (WRA) are at high risk of inadequate intake of micronutrients resulting from diets dominated by starchy staples. The present study considered the diets, dietary diversity, and food security of women aged 15–49 years along the rural-urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. A 48 h dietary recall was conducted across two seasons with 554 women from rural, peri-urban, and urban locations of Richards Bay, Dundee, and Harrismith. Minimum Dietary Diversity for WRA (MDD-W) were calculated and a dichotomous indicator based on a set of ten food groups was used to determine if women had consumed at least five food groups the previous 48 h to achieve minimum dietary intake for women. The mean (±sd) MDD-W for Richards Bay (3.78 ± 0.07) was significantly higher than at Dundee (3.21 ± 0.08) and Harrismith (3.36 ± 0.07). Food security and MDD-W were significantly higher in urban locations than in peri-urban or rural ones. There was lower dependence on food purchasing in Richards Bay compared to Dundee and Harrismith. The majority of women in Richards Bay practiced subsistence agriculture, produced a surplus for sale, and collected wild foods which improved dietary intake and food security. The peri-urban populations had limited dietary intake and were more food insecure because of high levels of poverty, unemployment, and lack of land. Peri-urban dwellers are therefore more sensitive to changes in incomes and food prices because they lack safety nets to absorb income or price shocks as they purchase more, rather than growing their own food. This compromises dietary diversity as they have limited access to diverse foods.

Durante las últimas dos décadas se han desarrollado muchas iniciativas para el rescate y la valoración de la diversidad de plantas útiles subutilizadas en distintas regiones del mundo. En Colombia se han realizado varias investigaciones etnobotánicas, sin embargo, se requiere ampliar las investigaciones sobre el uso de plantas comestibles por comunidades afrodescendientes. El objetivo global de la investigación era contribuir a la identificación de los saberes de las comunidades afrodescendientes de la Costa Caribe colombiana con respecto a la utilización, sistemas de manejo y producción de las plantas comestibles tradicionales. Este artículo se enfoca en la pregunta de cómo se distribuyen los saberes y cambian las prácticas de uso por generación y género de las plantas en tres comunidades del departamento de Bolívar. A través de una actividad con familias sobre el reconocimiento de 91 plantas se evidenció una pérdida intergeneracional de saberes y tradiciones de uso. Los porcentajes altos de no consumo y/o de consumo no reciente en combinación con las explicaciones dadas en grupos focales sugieren un declive en el uso alimenticio de alrededor de 20 plantas, en su mayoría silvestres y semisilvestres. Las razones dadas variaban según las plantas e incluían percepciones de cambio en las costumbres de producción, preparación de alimentos y consumo, y desaparición de ciertas plantas a causa de cambios en las prácticas de gestión del territorio y de los recursos naturales. Los adultos mayores pueden reconocer más plantas de las que usan. Los hombres reportaron niveles de reconocimiento más altos en comparación a las mujeres para el caso de 28 especies, principalmente de estatus silvestre. Los resultados muestran que el diseño de estrategias exitosas de fomento de procesos de desarrollo rural sostenible que pongan en valor la gran diversidad de plantas comestibles de la región necesita un enfoque diferencial según usuarios y recursos. In the last two decades a significant number of initiatives have been undertaken to promote and revalue the diversity of useful under-utilized plants in various regions around the world. In Colombia there have been various ethnobotanical studies, however, there is still a need for further research, particularly on the use of food plants in Afro-descendant communities. The overall objective of this research project was to contribute to the documentation of the use of traditional food plants and knowledge of the management and production systems by Afro-descendant communities in the Colombian Caribbean coastal region. This article focuses specifically on the question of how knowledge is distributed and how use practices of the plants change by generation and gender in three communities in the department of Bolívar. Through a recognition exercise, undertaken with families on 91 plants, evidence was found of intergenerational loss of knowledge and traditions of use. High percentages of reported non-consumption and/or not recent consumption combined with explanations given in focus groups, suggest a decline in the food use of about 20 species, the majority of them having wild and semi-wild status. The reasons given varied depending on the plant species and included perceptions of change in production and food preparation and consumption practices and the disappearance of certain plants because of changes in land use and natural resource management. Older respondents recognized more plants than they actually used. Recognition rates by men were higher in comparison to women in the case of 28 plants, mainly wild resources. These results highlight that the design of successful strategies to promote sustainable rural development processes which revalue the significant diversity of food plants in the region requires a differential focus depending on the user and the type of resource.

MS 5017. Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2013. Includes bibliographical references (pages 244-273) Introduction to the study -- Preliminary literature review -- Research design, methodology and methods -- Case study one : business exchanges in the Australian desert : it's about more than the money -- Case study two part 1 : a deeper exploration of the concept of value -- Case study two part II : the LARC value framework -- Case study three part 1 : new ways of looking : researching research; participatory action research; A new way of conceiving research; Countering the criticisms of PAR as a research approach; "Doing" PAR; Discussion -- Case study three part II - participatory action research: seeing more clearly. Uniquely Australian flora and fauna, known as ‘bush food1’ or ‘bush tucker’plays an important role in the daily lives of many Aboriginal peoples, particularly those living in remote Australia. Bush food provides a valuable contribution to diet, is used as a mechanism for passing on traditional knowledge about caring for country and being part of country. Specific plants and animals intrinsically linked to particular locations are thus culturally important to Aboriginal peoples and their country, from which place-based identity is derived. This research explored the nature of participation of remote Aboriginal peoples in the bush foods industry, and their positions in bush foods value chains. The study further explored the ways in which participatory action research (PAR) might be used as a vehicle for engagement of Aboriginal peoples in ongoing development in remote Australia.

0000-0001-5921-0027 WOS: 000293852900014 PubMed ID: 21735274 Scleroderma verrucosum, Stropharia coronilla, Lactarius deterrimus, Chroogomphus rutilus, Russula delica, Laccaria laccata, Clitocybe odora var. alba, Lyophyllum decastes, Coprinus comatus, Helvella leucomelaena, Melanoleuca cognata, Melanoleuca cognata, Paxina acetabulum, Clitocybe vermicularis, Sarcosphaera crassa, Rhizopogon roseolu and Thelephora caryophyllea were collected from different localities in Mugla-Yatagan region of Turkey. Their trace metals concentrations were determined by ICPOES after microwave digestion. The results were 0.37 +/- A 0.01-5.28 +/- A 0.21 for cadmium, 467 +/- A 19-3,280 +/- A 131 for iron, 0.69 +/- A 0.03-9.15 +/- A 0.37 for lead, 18.70 +/- A 0.75-67.10 +/- A 2.68 for selenium, 75 +/- A 3-213 +/- A 8 for zinc and 0.15 +/- A 0.01-0.55 +/- A 0.01 for mercury (as mu g/g). The detection limits for ICPOES were found as 0.25 for Cadmium, 0.2 for iron, 0.1 for lead, 0.5 for selenium, 0.2 for zinc and 0.03 for mercury (as mg L-1). The Relatively Standard Deviations (R.S.D.) were found below 4.0%. The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by certified reference material.

The seeds of 14 wild legume species from Brazil were analyzed to assess their potential as food. The seeds showed high levels of crude protein (10.9–50.0%), dietary fiber (0.8–52.3%) and energy (905–1804 kJ 100 g 1 ), and the amino acid composition (mg g 1 N) was comparable to that of soybeans, but with higher amounts of lysine (456–10,884) and histidine (199–918). The seeds showed lectin activity (20– 2560 and 60–2560 HU g 1 flour for untreated or treated erythrocytes, respectively) as well as trypsin inhibitory activity (4.06–27.35 mg TI mg 1 flour), urease (225–23,895 U kg 1 flour) and toxic activities (LD50 0.22–0.12 g kg 1 body weight). Most of the minerals, as with edible legume seeds, were present in high levels when considering reference daily intake (RDI) and the nutrient content claims of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thus, these wild legume seeds can be promising alternatives sources of food to overcome malnutrition problems.

Muchos de los alimentos que aprovecharon nuestros antepasados fueron relegados a alimentos subexplotados por los procesos de conquista o por la desaparición de sus hábitats naturales. Este trabajo exploró las razones de este cambio y el potencial nutricional, agronómico y comercial de un grupo de estos alimentos: las hortalizas subexplotadas. Se realizó a partir de fuentes documentales y entrevistas a personas, generalmente adultos mayores, de diferentes partes del país durante el 2003 y el 2005. Las principales razones que explican el desuso de estos alimentos son: la introducción de hortalizas foráneas, que redujo el estatus de las nativas; la destrucción del hábitat propio de las diferentes especies; la modificación de las técnicas agrícolas que facilitaban su crecimiento; y la urbanización progresiva que redujo el espacio para los solares tradicionales. Estas plantas, por ser nativas, están totalmente adaptadas al clima y suelos del país, por lo que iniciar procesos de domesticación no resulta difícil. Se requiere mayor investigación en biología, etnobotánica, agronomía, química, y nutrición antes de promover su consumo masivo. Pero son fuente de nutrimentos para las poblaciones rurales del país.

In de natuur worden insecten gegeten door planten, andere insecten, vissen, vogels, reptielen, amfibieën en zoogdieren. In Azië worden zijderupsen, die niet meer voor de zijdeteelt worden gebruikt, aan kippen gevoerd. Ook soorten, die nauw aan de mens verwant zijn, zoals chimpansees en gorilla’s, eten insecten. Het is jammer dat westerlingen gruwen van het eten van insecten. Er is zeker niks mis met de voedingswaarde. Het eten van insecten kan dan ook een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan het wereldvoedselvraagstuk, zowel in de tropen als in de gematigde gebieden. Bovendien zijn er veel eetbare rupsen, larven en sprinkhanen die smaak en kraak aan onze voeding kunnen geven.

In de natuur worden insecten gegeten door planten, andere insecten, vissen, vogels, reptielen, amfibieën en zoogdieren. In Azië worden zijderupsen, die niet meer voor de zijdeteelt worden gebruikt, aan kippen gevoerd. Ook soorten, die nauw aan de mens verwant zijn, zoals chimpansees en gorilla’s, eten insecten. Het is jammer dat westerlingen gruwen van het eten van insecten. Er is zeker niks mis met de voedingswaarde. Het eten van insecten kan dan ook een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan het wereldvoedselvraagstuk, zowel in de tropen als in de gematigde gebieden. Bovendien zijn er veel eetbare rupsen, larven en sprinkhanen die smaak en kraak aan onze voeding kunnen geven.

Het verschil in energiekosten tussen vegetarisch en niet-vegetarisch voedsel is berekend en geëvalueerd

Het verschil in energiekosten tussen vegetarisch en niet-vegetarisch voedsel is berekend en geëvalueerd

Het verschil in energiekosten tussen vegetarisch en niet-vegetarisch voedsel is berekend en geëvalueerd