Edible plants of Mara Region, Tanzania

Johns, Timothy; Mhoro, E. B.; Uiso, F.C.

doi:10.1080/03670244.1996.9991476

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Whether used as foods or for their medicinal properties, the consumption of leafy vegetables and the ingestion of the phytochemicals they contain 'can explain diverse cultural food behaviours and health outcomes' (Johns et al, 1996). Growing leafy vegetables is providing homegardeners in the coastal region of Tanzania with daily access to safe and nutritious food and medicine.…”

Section: The Benefits Of Agricultural Biodiversity: Health Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversifying Food and Diets

Fanzo¹,

Hunter²,

Borelli³

et al. 2013

134

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Currently 868 million people are undernourished and 195 million children under five years of age are stunted. At the same time, over 1 billion people are overweight and obese in both the developed and developing world. Diseases previously associated with affluence, such as cancer, diabetes and cardio-vascular disease, are on the rise. Food system-based approaches to addressing these problems that could enhance food availability and diet quality through local production and agricultural biodiversity often fall outside the traditional scope of nutrition, and have been under-researched. As a consequence, there remains insufficient evidence to support well-defined, scalable agricultural biodiversity interventions that can be linked to improvements in nutrition outcomes.Agricultural biodiversity is important for food and nutritional security, as a safeguard against hunger, a source of nutrients for improved dietary diversity and quality, and strengthening local food systems and environmental sustainability. This book explores the current state of knowledge on the role of agricultural biodiversity in improving nutrition and food security. Using examples and case studies from around the globe, the book explores current strategies for improving nutrition and diets and identifies key research and implementation gaps that need to be addressed to successfully promote the better use of agricultural biodiversity for rural and urban populations, and societies in transition.

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Section: The Benefits Of Agricultural Biodiversity: Health Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversifying Food and Diets

Fanzo¹,

Hunter²,

Borelli³

et al. 2013

134

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show abstract

“…Cultural traditions can be responsible for consuming certain plants or plant parts. For example, the population of Mara region in northern Tanzania had little cultural tradition of eating underground portions of plants, and edible wild roots and tubers were unrecognized by people (Johns et al, 1996). This would suggest a different preference for vegetable species and types in the two different districts.…”

Section: Vegetable Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and genetic erosion of traditional vegetables in Tanzania from the farmer's point of view

Keller

Mndiga

Maass

2005

Plant Genet. Resour.

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Traditional vegetables in Tanzania have been underutilized by farmers and neglected by research and development programmes. In the framework of the project 'Promotion of Neglected Indigenous Vegetable Crops for Nutritional Health in Eastern and Southern Africa' led by the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC) and partners, focus group meetings were conducted in 10-12 villages in each of four districts of north-east Tanzania, which differed in ethnicity as well as in altitude, climate and soil conditions. Farmers named 10 -34 different traditional vegetables per village, summing up to an overall of 102 in all four districts, about half of which were only identified by local names. The number of wild traditional vegetables used was always greater than the number of cultivated traditional types, with ratios of wild to cultivated vegetables ranging from 11:9 in an urban highland district to 59:11 in a rural coastal district. Some wild traditional vegetables were found to be threatened with genetic erosion due to changes in land use and eating habits. The degree of urbanization and the availability of infrastructure contributed more strongly to genetic erosion as compared to climatic conditions. Farmers' training encouraged exotic vegetable cultivation and reduced traditional vegetable diversity. At the same time, indigenous knowledge on how and where to collect, cultivate and prepare traditional vegetables was disappearing.

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“…During the past 25 years, the collection and consumption of non-cultivated food plants have been the focus of an increasing number of field studies aimed at documenting traditional knowledge (TK) in an anthropological and ethnoecological/ ethnobotanical context: in Africa (Etkin and Ross 1982;Ogle and Grivetti 1985a,b,c,d;Johns and Kokwaro 1991;Johns et al 1996aJohns et al , 1996bSchackleton et al 1998;Lockett et al 2000;Asfaw and Tadesse 2001;Marshall 2001;Mertz et al 2001;Ogoye-Ndegwa and Aagaard-Hansen 2003;Addis et al 2005), in the Americas (Bye 1981;Lepofski et al 1985;Kuhnlein 1992;Turner 1995Turner , 1997Ladio and Lozada 2000;Ladio 2001;Vierya-Odilon and Vibrans 2001), and in Asia (MorenoBlack et al 1996;Pemberton and Lee 1996;Leimar Price 1997;Tukan et al 1998;Ertug 2000;Khasbagan et al 2000;Johnson and Grivetti 2002;Ogle et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild and semi-domesticated food plant consumption in seven circum-Mediterranean areas

Hadjichambis

Paraskeva-Hadjichambi

Della

et al. 2008

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition

224

162

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This article maybe used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. AbstractThe use of local Mediterranean food plants is at the brink of disappearance. Even though there is relatively abundant information on inventories of wild edible taxa, there is also a crucial need to understand how these plants are consumed and when and how these consumption phenomena change over time and place around the Mediterranean. Additionally, it is important to study such knowledge systems and find innovative ways of infusing them to the future Mediterranean generations. During the years 2003Á2006 a circum-Mediterranean ethnobotanical field survey for wild food plants was conducted in selected study sites in seven Mediterranean areas (European Union-funded RUBIA Project). Structured and semi-structured questionnaires have been administered to indigenous people and 294 wild food plant taxa were documented in the survey. A comparative analysis of the data was undertaken showing that the quantity and quality of traditional knowledge varies among the several study areas and is closely related to the traditions, environment and cultural heritage of each country. More similarities of wild edible popular use were revealed between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Mediterranean.

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Edible plants of Mara Region, Tanzania

Cited by 9 publications

References 16 publications

Diversifying Food and Diets

Diversifying Food and Diets

Diversity and genetic erosion of traditional vegetables in Tanzania from the farmer's point of view

Wild and semi-domesticated food plant consumption in seven circum-Mediterranean areas

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