Urban Forest Justice and the Rights to Wild Foods, Medicines, and Materials in the City

Abstract

Urban forests are multifunctional socio-ecological landscapes, yet some of their social benefits remain poorly understood. This paper draws on ethnographic evidence from Seattle, Washington to demonstrate that urban forests contain nontimber forest products that contribute a variety of wild foods, medicines, and materials for the wellbeing of urban residents. We show that gathering wild plants and fungi in urban forests is a persistent subsistence and livelihood practice that provides sociocultural and material benefits to city residents, and creates opportunities for connecting with nature and enhancing social ties. We suggest that an orientation toward human-nature interactions in cities that conceptualizes the gathering of forest products as a legitimate social benefit may support and expand urban forest justice. Urban forest justice recognizes the rights of local people to have control over their own culturally appropriate wild food and health systems, including access to natural resources and to the decision-making processes affecting them. Keywords Urban foraging. Forest justice. Urban ecosystems. NTFPs. Social benefits 1 We use the definition provided by the 1978 U.S. Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, which defines urban forests as "trees and associated plants, individually, in small groups, or under forest conditions within cities, their suburbs, and towns." Following this definition, urban forests include all trees, associated understory vegetation, and fungi in urban areas on private and public land. This definition also includes trees and other plants historically or ornamentally cultivated, which may be found in diverse spaces such as natural areas, street edges, parks, and vacant lots.

Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research

“…The plants or plant parts that these studies show are commonly collected have a wide range of uses, including: berries or fruit for home consumption or sale; leaves, roots, and bark for medicines; poles for construction; and reeds for craft. However, in the developed world, urban foraging can also be a means towards improved food security, and supply other material and immaterial benefits [12]. For example, work in Seattle in the US has shown that far from being unimportant, harvesting in urban green areas is practiced by many and for multiple reasons [11], such as the collection of fruit and greens for food, medicinal products, and raw materials for craft work.…”

Urban Foraging in Berlin: People, Plants and Practices within the Metropolitan Green Infrastructure

“…These "forageables" include wild and domesticated species that occur spontaneously, those that spread or persist without human intervention and those that are introduced primarily for non-edible/material purposes, such as landscaping [11]. Urban foraging (also called 'urban gathering' or 'urban collecting') can occur in a wide variety of spaces, both managed and unmanaged, public and Sustainability 2018, 10, 1873 2 of 23 private, including parks and forests, abandoned lots, alongside streets and in nature preserves [10,12].…”

Foraging Wild Resources: Evolving Goals of an Ubiquitous Human Behavior

“…This raises a number of social justice questions, namely who has access to the natural resources in the city? According to Poe et al [54], "An urban forest justice framework…recognizes the rights of urban people to control their own culturally appropriate food and health systems based in cultures of gathering wild edible and medicinal plants and fungi". A particular form of urban foraging is called "dumpster diving" It is a popular form of modern salvaging of waste discarded in large commercial, residential, industrial and construction containers.…”

“…In addition, foraging is an activity which can build community and intergenerational bonds, inspire exercise, serve as a supplemental source of income, and offer a way for people to connect to nature [54]. In other words, urban foraging is underpinned by interconnected and multiple notions of identity, place, mobility, and agency for both humans and more-than-human interlocutors [55].…”

“…Motivations may be such as but not limited to protesting the industrial food system, culinary adventure tourism, seeking greater understanding of local environments and sustainability, economic need, connecting to personal histories and identities, and re-learning outdoor wilderness survival skills. Poe et al [54] have analyzed foraging behavior of wild plants from the urban forest in Seattle. Some of their main findings are that harvesters are diverse in their demographics, practices, and their use of spaces; social benefits and values are major motivating factors; wild foods and medicines are the most frequent use of wild plants.…”