Edible and Tended Wild Plants, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Agroecology

Abstract

Humans the world over have depended on wild-growing plants in their diets for hundreds of thousands of years, and many people continue to rely on these species to meet at least part of their daily nutritional needs. Wild harvested plant foods include: roots and other underground parts; shoots and leafy greens; berries and other fleshy fruits; grains, nuts and seeds; and mushrooms, lichens, algae and other species. Use of any of these species requires special cultural knowledge regarding harvesting, preparation, cooking and other forms of processing. Many were, and are, prepared and served in mixtures or combinations. In most cases, too, the species are managed, tended or manipulated in some way to increase their productivity and availability. Many of themost widely used species are categorized as weeds-species that grow and reproduce readily in disturbed or cleared land, and are common around human settlements and agricultural areas. This paper presents case examples of edible wild plant use and the roles of these species in agroecosystems from different parts of the world and discusses similarities and differences in use across different cultures and segments of society.

The Consumption of Wild Edible Plants

“…Some examples of critical foods from the reviewed literature are the corms from Colchicum montanum L. used in the Mediterranean region (Leonti et al 2006); the Brassicaceae, wild mustard, Sinapis arvensis L., and wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum L. used in Poland (Łuczaj 2010); the starchy rhizomes of waterlilies from the family Nymphaeaceae used by Native Americans and Australian Aborigines, and the inner bark of some gymnosperms in north-western North America (Turner et al 2011); the leaves of Glechoma hederaceae L. used for seasoning broths and soup in north-eastern Portugal . Grivetti and Ogle (2000) highlight the importance of edible weeds within regional food security, referring to the concept of hidden harvest.…”

“…However, wild edibles are still consumed across both industrialized and developing countries. Turner et al (2011) produced the most comprehensive review to date of various categories of edible wild and tended plants used in different regions of the world, and they discuss the concept of tending and managing not only wild plants but fungi and algae as well. They also emphasize the richness and diversity of wild food and its contribution to nutrition and cultural identity, reflecting important TEK.…”

“…Although biological availability is widespread, plant use and traditional knowledge are exclusive to some countries, and the cultural importance of common taxa is very different in each regional gastronomy. Numerous studies carried out by different researchers contribute to important ethnobotanical, anthropological, socioeconomic, and nutritional information about wild edible plant consumption and associated local knowledge in southern Europe (Dogan et al 2015;Ertug 2000;Ghirardini et al 2007;Guarrera & Savo 2013;Łuczaj & Dolina 2015;Pieroni & Giusti 2009;Pieroni et al 2002;Sansanelli & Tassoni 2014;Turner et al 2011).…”

“…Turner et al (2011) argue that such unequal choices and food patterns are not completely explained by levels of biodiversity, territorial differences or resources availability, but can be due to necessity or opportunity, or to remarkable significance within each human group.…”

Wild edible plants: Nutritional and toxicological characteristics, retrieval strategies and importance for today's society

“…In fact, in developed countries, cultivated plant-based foods purchased at the supermarket are placed on the table with relatively less effort than if collected from the wild. Nevertheless, many people around the world continue to rely on WEPs to meet at least part of their daily nutritional needs (Turner et al, 2011). Moreover, a new phenomenon associated with the use of WEPs is emerging in modern societies (Carvalho and Barata, 2016).…”