Nidaa Haroon

Edible Wild Plants: A Solution to Overcome Food Insecurity

Wild food is considered as all the non-domesticated plant and animal resources that are collected and hunted from forests and bushlands for the purpose of human feasting. However edible wild plants can be defined as the “Plants which as whole or their any part (roots, leaves or fruits) are acceptable for eating purpose by urban and rural communities.” It is very important to note that plants have many parts, i.e., stem, root, shoot, leaves, fruit, seeds, and buds, and if any part (at least one) is comestible, then that plant is considered to be an edible one. A plant considered to be an edible one could also have poisonous, medicinal, bitter, woody, and hairy parts as well. So it is very important to identify which plant is an edible one; in other case it could have disastrous consequences. The FAO defines the wild edible plants in such following words: “Plants that grow spontaneously in self-maintaining populations in natural or semi-natural ecosystems and can exist independently of direct human action” [1]. Another definition stated that WEPs as the plant species can be used as food sources and are never cultivated and never domesticated, but these can get from their wild habitat [2].

List of Useful Edible Wild Plants for Daily Use

This chapter documents the conservation and use of WEPs in Bullen district, northwestern Ethiopia. The data was obtained by focus group discussions and interviews. Different WEPs were identified. Among these plants 35.5 % were trees and 31.1 % were shrubs. All plant parts are used either as raw or cooked collected mostly by women and childre. In areas where is the food insufficiency, the WEPs are used mostly as compared to the areas where food is sufficient. Many plants have medicinal uses but some also have side effects causing constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. For conservation and sustainable use of WEPs the community participation was suggested.

Edible Wild Plants: An alternative approach to food security

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Conservation Measures and Sustainable Production of Edible Wild Plants

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Status of Edible Wild Plants in Pakistan: Case Studies

Man started to collect plants before they cultivate them, and by trial and error method, over a thousand years, our ancestors learn which plants to eat and which plants are suitable for cultivation. Then by that time, man selected a few plants and started their domestication. These are only a small fraction of species that bears a heavy burden of food security. Only 20 plants are fulfilling our 90% demand of food and 60% of our caloric demands covered by only 4 plants, i.e., corn, rice, wheat, and soy. It is really surprising that more than 8000 plants in the wild are edible, and we are still using only a fraction of them. The reason behind this is probably we are no longer giving value to our traditional knowledge, and even most of the knowledge is undocumented. These factors trigger the threat to the traditional knowledge about plants whether about their edibility or medicinal use.

Diversity of Edible Wild Plants: Global Perspectives

In this chapter some case studies of wild edible plants are given, which includes pictorial description of WEPs , their systematic studies, ecology, morphological description, organoleptography, edible potential, edible and medicinal uses and folk preparations. The case study of each plant gives a comprehensive detail regarding all these studies.

Food Security: A Global Problem

Food security is the main issue of this time, and we know that dependence just only to cultivated species cannot assure the food security. We have to look for edible wild plant resource as well. More than 50% of our daily protein and caloric requirements covered by only 3 crops, i.e., wheat, rice, and maize, and only 12 species are making the 80% of our total dietary intake [11]. However, this diet can be diversified by integrating the wild edible plants into our diet plan. Ethnobotanical studies had revealed that more than 7000 species have been used by humans as food in prehistoric times [8, 9].

Nutritional Contents and Analysis of Edible Wild Plants

Food security is a potential predicament to the world at this time. Today we are facing a challenge to provide the inexpensive, sustainable, and nutritious food to the fast-growing world’s population. Food security is a contrary term to food insecurity. It includes a wide range of fundamental food issues. It is quite difficult to state precise definition of food security.Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The food security and nutrition security are undoubtedly closely linked to each other, but yet they have differences. The world has agreed that food security is basic but it doesn’t necessarily provide you nutritional security. But these two terms cannot be separated from each other because both of them are part of each other. All proposed definitions of food security are applicable for nutrition security only if households are consuming food up to their dietary requirements. Definitely to achieve a nutrition security, we have to achieve food security first. There is no possibility to achieve nutrition security without achieving the food security. However nutrition insecurity may increase the threat of food insecurity. Both of these are interrelated and may appear in a spiteful cycle but with different degrees. However sometimes food security is achieved in a particular area, but nutrition security will require more time and efforts to be set out. The book is a good documentation of all global issues regarding food and nutritional insecurity.

A Pictorial Guide to Edible Wild Plants

Edible wild plants are economical, important, and good sources for vitamins, fibers, minerals, and antioxidants. These plants have curing ability for multiple disorders like cardiovascular problems, diabetes, digestive and urinary tract disorders, inflammation, etc. The conventionally utilized edible wild plants also possessed antibacterial and anticancer activity which adds value to their nutraceutical worth. In developing countries dependence on wild nutraceutical plant is quite customary. Numerous studies have explored the nutritional and medicinal worth of edible wild plants and reported the health potential ingredients (minerals, organic acids, and dietary fibers) among these plants [19, 20]. The results of their studies supported the fact that these wild fruits and vegetables are potentially viable sources for maintenance of health. Microelements in edible wild plants are significant in curing and preventing of multiple diseases. A small proportion of available plant minerals plays an important role in the maintenance of human body metabolism [26]. It has been found that Asian edible wild plants are worthwhile sources of natural antioxidants because they contain high amounts of phenolic compounds [25, 26]. The Sageretia theezans fruit studies revealed its nutritional and nutraceutical value. Its fruit is not only found to be rich in potassium, malic acid, and oleic acid but also showed antioxidant and antidiabetic competencies due to significant flavonoid and phenolic content [23].