Figure 4 - uploaded by Harisha Puttahariyappa
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
Keywords Wild food plants, indigenous community, dependency, economic benefits Wild food plant resources and their indigenous knowledge of use are in danger of being lost in areas where rapid environmental and cultural transformations have led to changes in eating habits and practices. The study assesses the dependency and economic value of wild fo...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... life form analysis shows that herbs rank first with 40 species (32.5%), followed by trees at 38 species (30.9%), climbers at 25 species (20.3%), and shrubs at 20 (16.3%) species [ Figure 4(a)]. Wild fruits were collected from 53 species (41%), leaf and shoot vegetables from 50 species (39.3%), tubers from 8 species (6.5%), shoots from 5 species (4.1%), flowers from 4 species (3.3%), and whole plant from 3 species (2.4%) [ Figure 4(b)]. ...
Context 2
... life form analysis shows that herbs rank first with 40 species (32.5%), followed by trees at 38 species (30.9%), climbers at 25 species (20.3%), and shrubs at 20 (16.3%) species [ Figure 4(a)]. Wild fruits were collected from 53 species (41%), leaf and shoot vegetables from 50 species (39.3%), tubers from 8 species (6.5%), shoots from 5 species (4.1%), flowers from 4 species (3.3%), and whole plant from 3 species (2.4%) [ Figure 4(b)]. Herbs are a rich source of leaves and shoots (31 species-25.2%), ...
Similar publications
Backyard poultry farming has been inevitable part of sustainable livelihood of Indian farmers. It provides not only food security but also employment to the farmers and rural youth. Hilly areas, especially the north-eastern states of India are still growing in terms of commercial poultry production yet they have considerable experience in tradition...
Citations
... They constitute a valuable reservoir of nutritious and healthy foods: they are rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber (Baldermann et al. 2016) as well as in plant secondary metabolites, i.e., alkaloids, polyphenolic compounds and essential fatty acids, and they also possess some medicinal properties, including anti-bacterial, hepatoprotective and anti-carcinogenic activities (Heywood 1999). For millennia, WEPs have supported food security (Addis et al. 2005) and have alleviated malnutrition and poverty in rural communities of the Mediterranean Basin (Maxted and Vincent 2021), where farming is the main source of food and income (Baldermann et al. 2016;Harisha et al. 2021). Even today, they are used as additional sources of healthy food, bioactive compounds and medicine (Keller et al. 2005;Termote et al. 2011;Ulian et al. 2020;Casella et al. 2023). ...
The study centers on the valorization of Beta macrocarpa Guss., an endangered Mediterranean wild plant that grows in Tunisia. This plant is disappearing due to a reduction in marginal areas and a lack of awareness of this important crop wild relative (CWR). This prompted us to carry out work to assess the nutritional and functional value of its plant shoots in relation to physicochemical soil properties at three different Tunisian sites covering the north (Sijoumi), the center (Enfidha) and the south (Kerkennah) of the country. All soil samples showed an alkaline pH and high salinity. Sijoumi, Enfidha and Kerkennah soils were classified as loamy, silty clay loamy and sandy, respectively. Chemical analysis revealed that all soils, especially the sandy one, were low in total nitrogen, organic matter and microelements. Plant analysis showed that shoots harvested from the loamy soil presented the highest levels of carbohydrate (19.1 g/100 g FW) and fiber (6.1 g/100 g FW) and the greatest energetic value (94 kcal/100 g FW), whereas shoots collected from the sandy soil showed the highest contents of protein (4.1 g/100 g FW), ash (5.2 g/100 g FW), total polyphenols and flavonoids (39.01 mg GAE/g DW; 27.8 mg CE/g DW), and the greatest DPPH scavenging capacity (IC 50 = 0.74 mg/ml). The results suggest that Beta macrocarpa , which naturally grows in poor and salt-affected soils, could play a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity and sustainability of agro-ecosystems, particularly in marginal areas, and could also provide an alternative source of food with significant nutritional value and health benefits.
Graphical abstract
... Because farmers spend an average of two thousand rupees per hectare to control weeds in the cropland. Therefore, encourage farmers to harvest WFP from their agricultural land and supply it to the market, as it gives more income to the farmers and reduce weeding cost [5]. Harvesting from the wild can pose a huge threat to wild ecosystems, but there is scope to engage the community in sustainable utilization, monitoring, and creating incentives for the conservation of these resources. ...
This article sheds light on the current system of urban food gamut, future vulnerabilities, and interventions. Wild edible plants for urban consumers a prospects and encounters for sustainable innovation which creates a win-win situation. The term “Wild Food Plants” refers to non-cultivated wild edible plants gathered from natural forests and agricultural land. It is food for thought as the urban poor population increasing exponentially. It is also a very good alternative and chief source of nutritive food which has been practiced by indigenous people since immemorial. It could be a local substitute for global high-carbon food available in urban markets. Moreover, wild food plants have many ailments aiding in getting nutritive elements locally instead of globally produced food that is alien to our gut system.
... The same situation is reported by Harianja et al. (2021) in that the Batak Toba community uses fruit species from the forest for their own consumption and not for sale. The same situation was also described by Harisha et al. (2021) that the people who live in the Malai Madeshawara Hills wildlife sanctuary area use food plants obtained from the forest for their daily needs and not for sale, or in other words, the community obtains non-monetary benefits from food plants naturally available in the forest. ...
Kulsum NNS, Susandarini R. 2023. Diversity of wild edible fruits in the agroforestry area of Cigalontang Village, Tasikmalaya, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 4161-4167. Wild edible fruits are non-timber forest products that support the nutritional adequacy of communities around the forest. Scientific inventory and documentation of wild fruit plant diversity are important to reveal local resources' potential in supporting local communities food security. A study on wild edible fruits in the agroforestry area in Cigalontang Village aimed to document the diversity of fruit plant species and traditional knowledge of the community on food plants available from the forest. This study used semi-structured interviews with 63 respondents and guided fieldwork to identify natural habitats and collect specimens of wild edible fruits. The results showed that people of Cigalontang Village commonly consumed 49 wild edible fruit species belonging to 27 families. Zingiberaceae and Moraceae were two families with the highest number of wild edible fruit species mentioned by the respondents. All the fruits were consumed raw as fresh fruits, and some were known as ingredients for traditional medicine to treat minor health complaints. The community discussed the use of wild edible fruits with a review of the nutritional content based on relevant references. Results showed that the community used wild edible fruits for daily nutritional needs, not for sale. Both older and younger generations shared knowledge about the diversity of wild edible fruit plants and were closely related to local traditions kept within the frame of local wisdom. This knowledge, supported by local wisdom held by the community, is important to maintain the sustainability of fruit plant diversity and its conservation.
... Cereals, millets, legumes, nuts, and seeds are among the common sources of nutrients. Wild food plants (WFPs) naturally growing plants reported in wild areas such as forests, farmLands, fallow land, roadside, and near bodies of water and streams without human care and interference, are used by local people as sources of food (Harisha et al. 2021). There is a variety of plants that grow in forest and wild areas having significant contributions to our food system. ...
Humans established relations with food with their existence on earth. In various parts of the world, different types of vegetation are used as food material. Chhattisgarh, where numbers of tribes exist and used a leafy portion of various plants as a food material. The present study evaluated the total protein, total carbohydrate, and total free amino acid content in leafy vegetables used in Chhattisgarh. Total protein was estimated by Lowry method, while total carbohydrate and free amino acid content by Anthrone method and spectrophotometric method. The result showed highest protein contained in Tamarindus indica (103.98 ± 2.34 µg/mg) followed by Moringa olerifera (99.86 ± 2.32 µg/mg), Cicer arietinum (95.53 ± 2.78 µg/mg). The highest carbohydrate content was observed in the leaf of Amaranthus viridis (116.26 ± 2.33 µg/mg of plant tissue) followed by Marsilea vestita with carbohydrate content (82.35 ± 1.55 µg/mg), Chorchorus olitorius with carbohydrate content (50.46 ± 2.23 µg/mg), and highest free amino acid content was recorded in the leaves of (232.33 ± 2.05 µg/mg of plant tissue) followed by Brassica oleracea (204.94 ± 1.25 µg/mg), Cucurbita maxima (85.67 ± 2.35 µg/mg). The study's finding confirmed that wild leafy vegetables utilized by the special community of this area play a significant role in their livelihood as those vegetables contain higher nutrient level compared to conventional crops. As per the data reported, more than one million people of this region suffer from malnutrition so present study is an approach to overcome the health issue of people of this region in a sustainable manner.
... Various studies from different parts of the world have reported the availability of WFPs and their consumption [4]. A huge diversity of WFPs exist in Africa, Asia, and South America, and many indigenous communities still collect and consume them for nutritional as well as medicinal purposes [1,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Various studies have documented the diversity of WFPs in India. ...
... The WFPs can contribute to ensuring food security of the people and towards the realization of global goals, also known as sustainable development goals [21]. India is home to many WFPs such as leafy vegetables, nutritious fruits, tubers, edible stems, and medicinal plants, including myco-foods such as mushrooms [11,12,[21][22][23][24][25]. So far, attention has been paid towards leveraging medicinal plants, but WFPs largely remain ignored because of the underestimation of their economic and nutritional importance and their contribution towards climate-resilient cultivation practices [26]. ...
Wild food plants (WFPs) are consumed by the indigenous communities in various parts of the world for food, nutrition, and medicinal purposes. They are usually collected from the wild and sometimes grown in the vicinity of the forests and the dwellings of the indigenous people in a way such that they are not far from their natural habitats. WFPs are important for the food and nutritional requirements of the indigenous communities. The WFPs are seasonal and collected from the wild whenever they are available. Therefore, the food menu of the tribal co mmunities changes with the seasons. A number of studies have demonstrated various WFPs consumed by indigenous communities including India. The results show that an enormous diversity of WFPs is consumed by the indigenous people of India. However, a few studies also suggest that the consumption of WFPs among the indigenous communities is declining along with the dwindling of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge linked to the collection, processing, cooking, storage, and limited cultivation of WFPs. India can leverage the network of its botanic gardens for the conservation of its wild food plant resources, the traditional and indigenous knowledge linked to it, and its popularization among the citizens within the framework of Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). This article provided an overview of the need to focus on WFPs, limitations of current studies, and role of botanic gardens in the conservation of wild food plants through the implementation of GSPC. This article further provided a framework for the role of botanic gardens in the popularization of WFPs, increasing the awareness about their importance, documentation, and preservation of the traditional knowledge linked to various aspects of WFPs within the GPSC framework.
Wild food plants (WFPs) make significant contributions to food baskets and livelihoods of a large number of subsistence farming communities. Many rural households and forest-dwelling communities are dependent on WFPs as a subsistence strategy, especially during adverse conditions of food insecurity. WFPs have played an important role in livelihood opportunities and providing the required nutritional security to people enduring crop losses. In recent years, globalization has led to drastic changes in food systems/diets, which has had a major impact on health and malnutrition in many small and marginalized communities. Simplification and reduction in the diversity of diet, as expected of the globalization pattern, has led to food systems that are low in nutritional requirements but high in calorific value. Understanding the importance of WFP is critical for the region and the country. This chapter gives a broad overview of the importance of WFPs and their role in tackling food security and meeting the nutritional requirement of many marginalized communities. The WFPs are culturally deep-rooted in many communities across the globe. Detailed documentation on the nutritional and curative values, amount, part and time of collection, and phenology of WFPs is important. Re-establishing the intimate association with the use of traditional foods originating from trees and herbaceous plants could help in meeting the nutritional requirements. Incorporating indigenous knowledge may help in the sustainable management of WFPs along with meeting the needs of the communities. An integrated conservation approach is needed to document, protect, and promote WFP resources as well as ensure their accessibility for future generations.KeywordsGlobalizationWild food plantsTraditional knowledgeSocioeconomicsSustainability
The noncultivated or nondomesticated food plants that are collected from the wild natural habitats for consumption are called wild food plants (WFPs). They enrich the dietary diversity and significantly contribute to the micro and macronutrients of the body. WFPs are popular as a potential source of income for the local communities, and they ensure food supply during famine periods. The capacity to survive in harsh environmental conditions contributes to the stress adaptation potential of the these plants. Therefore, WFPs can be explored as a climate change adaptation strategy or resilient plants for agriculture. In the scenario of climate change, nutritional and yield reduction of the staple crops, wide diversity of WFPs with regional adaptations can be utilized for crop improvement programs and can significantly improve food security. The popularity of WFPs among ethnic communities is a link between traditional knowledge and modern scientific systems. But the traditional knowledge related to WFPs is being lost. Loss of traditional knowledge related to the WFPs has also threatened their existence. Therefore, it is essential to document and conserve the WFPs and promote their consumption globally. The popularization of WFPs can help to eradicate the hidden hunger and malnutrition among the population since they are a cheap source of locally available nutrient-rich food. The genetic diversity of the WFPs should be protected, and several crop improvement programs can be applied to improve the traits of the plant. The effective exploration of the diversity of WFPs can directly contribute to achieving zero hunger by 2030.KeywordsWild food plantsFood securityClimate resilienceFood securityNutritional deficiency
Background: The voice of the indigenous food system on locally available wild food plants and consumption is an important strategy to sustain interrelated food problems of malnutrition and disease.
Methods: The study assessed the importance of wild food plant use among the forest-dwelling communities.
Community perceptions were used to assess the patterns of use and interrelations of human well-being. Data was
collected through a combination of semi-structured interviews, household surveys, and focus group discussions in
eight villages. Local communities use wild plant species as food, therapeutic practices, and as a symbol of ethnic
identity.
Results: The taxonomical distribution and diversity of 126 species belonging to 94 genera and 58 families have
been assessed. About 83% of wild leaves as greens fall in the category of weeds. There were 15 species WFPs that
have been shared with neighbours in the village, close relatives, or friends. More than 28 species of leafy vegetables
are used by 80% of households for more than 20 days a year. The local communities also use 120 wild edible herbs
and root species in ethno-medicine. Boerhavia diffusa, Acacia farnesiana, and Alternanthera sissilis have been used
frequently as vegetables, they were reported to reduce blood pressure, increase iron in the blood, and improve
eyesight.
Conclusions: The study emphasizes the dependency on the local food source and its livelihood importance. The
the study would help to evaluate the potential of WFPs use as future food in indigenous dietary systems and
therapeutic practices.
