Wild Foods - The Oxford Topic of Food, Politics, and Society - page 485

Ethiopia, Kenya). Among indigenous communities (Table 19.5) the mean use of wild
species is 120 per community, rising to 194 for those 7 communities formally desig-
nated as agricultural.
The Nutritional Value of Wild Foods
Malnutrition is a major health burden in developing countries, and the recognition that
nutritional security and biodiversity are linked is fundamental for enlisting policy sup-
port to secure wild food use and preserve habitats for wild edible species, which make
significant contributions to dietary diversity and nutritional security (Ogle et al. 2001;
Smith and Longvah 2009). This might be especially important for some groups; for
example, women are at high risk of micronutrient malnutrition in regions that depend
on a small number of dietary staples (Arimond et al. 2010).
Understanding the micro- and macronutritional properties of wild foods currently
lags behind that of cultivated species (Vincetti et al. 2008). Comprehensive food compo-
sition data and information on the bioavailability of nutrients for commonly used wild
food species is a critical first step (Flyman and Afolayan 2006; Frison et al. 2006), and
is of especial importance for communities most vulnerable to malnutrition (Misra et al.
2008; Afolayan and Jimoh 2009). Also important is spreading awareness among farm-
ers and policymakers of the potential nutritional importance of “weeds.” For example,
negative perceptions of plants as “weeds” could entail reduced consumption, as in the
case of farmers' perceptions of the nutritive Corchorus spp. in fields of Ethiopia (Benor
et al. 2010).
Though the energy density of wild foods is generally low (with the exception of honey
and high-fat organs or in-season fat deposits) (McMichael et al. 2007; Samson and
Pretty 2006), some wild species can still contribute significantly to total dietary energy
in certain communities. Kuhnlein et al. (2009) find that it can range from 30-93 percent
in twelve indigenous communities spread across the world.
In the Sahel, several edible desert plants are sources of essential fatty acids, iron, zinc,
and calcium (Glew et al. 1997). In the arid Ferlo region of Senegal, some 50 percent of all
plants have edible parts, and those that are commonly consumed are critical suppliers
of vitamins A, B2, and C, especially during seasonal lean periods (Becker 1983). Lockett
et al. (2000) found that among the plants used by the Fulani in Nigeria, those available
during the dry season (and thus important for ensuring nutritional security during
potential food shortages) were superior in energy and micronutrient content to those
from the wet season.
For many indigenous communities, traditional wild foods outweigh mod-
ern store-bought items in terms of nutrient content. Their gradual replacement by
store-bought produce causes discernable and significantly negative impacts on nutri-
tional security at household and community levels (Samson and Pretty 2006; Raschke
and Cheema 2008).