The role of wild vegetable species in household food security in maize based subsistence cropping systems

Abstract

Wild vegetables (WV) are an important source of food in the maize based subsistence farming sector of rural South Africa. Their main role is as relish as they are used as an accompaniment for staple cereal based diets. They are generally reported to be rich in micronutrients. Although they may be consumed in small quantities, they influence the intake of cereal staples, manage hunger and play a central role in household food security for the poorer rural groups. Mixing several WV species in one meal contributes to dietary diversity in terms of more vegetable types as well as in terms of choice of relish. For some very poor families WV are substitutes for some food crops. The seasonal occurrence of these vegetables leaves many families without a food source during the off-season. Wild vegetables increase agro-biodiversity at the household level. This agrobiodiversity helps in buffering against the accumulation and multiplication of pests and diseases and provides important cover for the soil. Further research on agronomic, social and economic dimensions is required to understand the roles of WV in subsistence farming systems in South Africa.

Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: a cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon

“…Those who did not consume forest foods in the two 24 h recalls in the present study did not consume meat and meat products, while bush meat was predominantly consumed by those who consumed forest foods. This is in contrast with the findings reported among rural populations of South Africa which indicated that wild vegetables are consumed only when meat and exotic vegetables cannot be afforded (52) . Nevertheless, the nutrient intakes from forest foods in the present study are higher than those reported in similar studies conducted in DR Congo (12) and Benin (53) .…”

Food security in South Africa—first steps toward a transdisciplinary approach

“…Mavengahama et al (2013) argue that wild vegetables are an important source of food in the maize-based subsistence-farming sector of rural South Africa. Their main role is as an accompaniment to staple, cereal-based diets.…”

Dietary contribution of Wild Edible Plants to women’s diets in the buffer zone around the Lama forest, Benin – an underutilized potential

“…They may also contribute to greater dietary diversity and be essential components of an otherwise monotonous and nutritionally poor diet (Grivetti and Ogle 2000;FAO 2005;Fentahun and Hager 2009). A number of authors stress the high nutritional (micronutrient) content of WEPs Steyn et al 2001;Odhav et al 2007;Kuhnlein et al 2009;Mavengahama et al 2013). Lastly, WEPs, in some cases, also represent an inextricable link between people and their lands, defining bio-cultural identity (Barucha and Pretty 2010).…”

“…Various researchers have argued that WEPs are important in local food systems and make significant contributions to the food and nutrition security of the poor (Lockett et al 2000;Mahapatra and Panda 2012;Mavengahama et al 2013;Fentahun and Hager 2009;Legwaila et al 2011;Shackleton 2003). However, studies actually quantifying the contributions of WEPs to diets are scattered and use different methodologies, making comparisons difficult.…”

“…However, studies actually quantifying the contributions of WEPs to diets are scattered and use different methodologies, making comparisons difficult. Few studies have assessed the real contribution of WEPs to energy and nutrient intake by thorough dietary assessment methods (Grivetti and Ogle 2000;Penafiel et al 2011;Mavengahama et al 2013;Powell et al 2013). They include those by Ogle et al (2001a-c) in Vietnam, Termote et al (2012) in DR Congo and Powell et al (2013) in Tanzania but the authors arrive at divergent results and conclusions.…”