Suwalee Lowirakorn

Yearly Household Record of Food from the Forest for Home Consumption by Rural Villagers in North-East Thailand

Forests provide food and resources that are used in the daily life of the rural villagers who live nearby. This study explored the contribution of forest food to household nutrition and food security of these people. the study focused on the frequency, varieties, and amounts of forest food gathered for consumption in the household, and the reduction in food expenditure resulting from using forest food. Seven households in a village near a forest in north-east Thailand were selected for a one-year study of forest food consumption using household food records. the data were collected from May 1988 to April 1989. Forest food was gathered for consumption an average of three days a week. One hundred twenty-six kinds of forest food were gathered. the amount gathered for consumption was highest in May and lowest in December, with an average of 126.6 kg per household per year. the use of forest food could reduce food expenditure for the rural villagers.