Wild leafy vegetable use and knowledge across multiple sites in Morocco: a case study for transmission of local knowledge?

Abstract

BackgroundThere are few publications on the use and diversity of wild leafy vegetables (WLVs) in Morocco. In order to address this gap, we conducted ethnobotanical field work in Taounate, Azilal and El House regions.MethodsEthnobotanical collections, free listing, qualitative interviews and a 7 day food frequency questionnaire.ResultsMore than 30 species in 23 genera of WLV were identified. Of these 4 had not previously recorded as WLVs used in Morocco in the literature. WLVs were used by 84% of households surveyed in Taounate (N = 61, in March 2005), and were used up to 4 times a week. Qualitative data revealed both positive and negative perceptions of WLVs and detailed knowledge about preparation among women. The greatest diversity of WLV knowledge and use was in the Rif Mountains (Taounate). There was significant variation in nomenclature and salience of WLVs, not only between regions, but also between villages in the same region. Within the same region (or even village) different local names were used for a given species or genus, and different species were identified by the same local name (including species from different botanical families). Data showed greater overlap in knowledge among villages using the same market.ConclusionWe believe the results suggest that markets are important sites for WLV knowledge transmission.

The Consumption of Wild Edible Plants

“…roots, tubers, and rhizomes) are well known useful foods, being central components of diets in across Africa (Bvenura & Afolayan 2015;Chweya & Eyzaguirre 1999;Dansi et al 2008;Lulekal et al 2011;Nassif & Tanji 2013;Neudeck et al 2012;Powell et al 2014). The wild leafy food category includes plant materials ranging from leaves of annuals and shrubs to leaves of trees of major plant groupings such as angiosperms, but Maroyi (2014) also provided evidence of the importance of pteridophytes as food sources.…”

“…In some European countries and in Morocco, commonly consumed species of wild edibles, particularly herbs, greens, and berries, are available in local markets (Carvalho 2010;Łuczaj et al 2013a;Powell et al 2014;Svanberg 2012) where they may be bought by inhabitants and by foreigners visiting the area. Small businesses and industries for processing wild edibles, for example marmalades and preserves, are common in some rural areas, such as north-eastern Portugal.…”

“…Several surveys have reported how different communities worldwide are able to manage plant resources when food insecurity is highest, specifically during dry or wet seasons according to different climatic regions (Grivetti 2006;Powell et al 2014;Somnasang & Moreno-Black 2000;Svanberg 2012).…”

“…Some examples are summarized within the following paragraphs. (Bortolotto et al 2015) A total of 140 species of wild leafy vegetables was inventoried within 29 ethnic areas in Benin, West Africa (Dansi et al 2008); three ethnic groups of the Democratic Republic of Congo consumed 166 wild species (Termote et al 2010); in Ethiopia, north-eastern Africa, 413 wild edible plants were compiled from different ethnic groups in three different territories of the Tshopo district (Lulekal et al 2011), and 127 plants were listed in the Konso district (Addis et al 2013); 27 species were used as sources of food and beverage in Botswana (Neudeck et al 2012); in Marmoucha, Middle Atlas, 246 species were reported (Nassif & Tanji 2013); in Benue State, Nigeria, 42 plants (Shomkegh et al 2013); within three provinces of Morocco (Powell et al 2014), 30 species of wild leafy greens; in Obalanga, Amuria District, Uganda (Ojelel & Kakudidi 2015), 51 species were registered; and 103 species were mentioned in five provinces from South Africa (Bvenura & Afolayan 2015).…”

Improving diets with wild and cultivated biodiversity from across the landscape

“…For example, the nutritional importance of wild foods in sago-dependent forest communities of Indonesia (Ellen 2006;Dounias et al 2007;Sasaoka et al 2014) is likely very different from that for Mediterranean communities who value wild foods as part of their traditional culinary heritage (Pieroni et al 2005;Pardo-De-Santayana et al 2005;Batal and Hunter 2007;Hadjichambis et al 2008;Powell et al 2014). Although reviews have often portrayed wild foods as ubiquitous and habitually used by rural populations around the world (Scoones and Bishop 1994;Grivetti and Ogle 2000;Bharucha and Pretty 2010;Penafiel et al 2011), their actual contribution to nutrition is dependent not only on availability but also on the number of people using them, frequency of use, and quantities consumed relative to other foods.…”