Dependency and Economic Benefits of Use of Wild Food Plants use among Tribal Communities in Malai Madeshawara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India
Economic importance of wild food plants
Keywords:
wild food plants, indigenous community, dependency, economic benefitsAbstract
Wild food plant resources and their indigenous knowledge of use, are in danger of being lost in areas where rapid environmental and cultural transformations have led to changes in eating habits and practices. The study assesses the dependency and economic value of wild food plant use among forest-dwelling communities. Community perceptions are used to assess the use patterns and interrelations of human well-being. The data is collected through a combination of semi-structured interviews, household questionnaire survey, and focus group discussions in eight villages. Wild food plants are of vital importance to local communities in terms of food security, dietary diversity, and household economy. Local communities use wild plant species as vegetables, fruits, beverages, in traditional therapeutic practices, and as a symbol of ethnic identity. The taxonomical distribution and diversity of 124 species belonging to 57 families and 91 genera are assessed. The cash value of wild food plants to a household range from ? 3200 to 6000 per year. These plants are a reliable safety net for many households and play a vital role in the livelihoods of the local people. The study emphasizes the dependency and livelihood importance of these plants.
References
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Manuel Pardo-De-Santayana, Javier Tardi, and Ramo N. Morales (2005). The gathering consumption of wild edible plants in the Campoo (Cantabria, Spain). International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,56(7): 529/542.
Muthu, C., M. Ayyanar, N. Raja, and S. Ignacimuthu(2006). Medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of EthnobiologyEthnomedicine, 2.
Ojelel S. andKakudidi E.K.(2015). Wild edible plant species utilized by a subsistence farming community in Obalanga sub-county, Amuria district, Uganda. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine,11(1):7.
Ong H.C., P. F. J. Mojiun, and P. Milow(2011). Traditional knowledge of edible plants among the Temuan villagers in KampungGuntor, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 6(8): 1962-1965.
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Pieroni, A. (2001). Evaluation of the cultural significance of wild food botanicals traditionally gathered in northwestern Tuscany, Italy. Journal of Ethnobiology, 89–104.
Prasanna M. Shrestha and Shivcharn S. Dhillion(2006). Diversity and traditional knowledge concerning wild food species in a locally managed forest in Nepal.Agroforestry System, 66: 55-63.
Puri, R.K. (2015).The uniqueness of every day: Herders and invasive species in India. In Barnes, J. and M. Dove, eds., Climate Cultures: Anthropological Perspectives on Climate Change. Agrarian Studies Series, Ch 10: 249-72, New Haven: Yale University Press.
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Santayana (2003a). The Letters of Gorge Santayana, Book One ([1868]-1909),Fernholz-Berger W.G.&Saatkamp Jr., H.J.(eds.), The Works of George Santayana, Volume V, Cambridge(Ma.) & London, The MIT Press.
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Shackleton, C.M. (2003). The prevalence of use and value of wild edible herbs in South Africa. South African Journal of Science,99: 23-25.
Shackleton, C.M. and Shackleton, S.E. (2004). The importance of Non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety-nets: Evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 100: 58-66.
Shackleton, C.M. and Shackleton, S.E. (2006). Household wealth status and natural resource use in the Kat River Valley, South Africa. Ecological Economics, 57: 306-317.
Shumsky, S.A., Hickey, G.M., Pelletier, B., and Johns T. (2014).Understanding the contribution of wild edible plants to rural social-ecological resilience in semi-arid Kenya. Ecology & Society, 19(4).
Sansanelli S., Ferri M., Salinitro M., and Tassoni A. (2017).Ethnobotanical survey of wild food plants traditionally collected and consumed in the Middle Agri Valley (Basilicata region, Southern Italy). Journal of Ethnobiology &Ethnomedicine,13(1):50.
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Victoria Reyes-Garcia, Tomas Huanca, Vincent Vadez, William Leonard, and DawidWilkie(2006). Cultural, Practical and Economic value of Wild Plants: A quantitative study in the Bolivian Amazon. Economic Botany,60 (1): 62-74.
Acharya, K.P. and Acharya, M. (2010). “Traditional Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Livestock Diseases in Sardikhola VDC, Kaski, Nepal.” Journal of Medicinal Plant Research,4 (2): 235-239.
Agea, J.G., Okia, C.A., Obua J., Hall J., and Teklehamanot Z. (2011). Wild and semi-wild food plants in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda: Cultural significances, local perceptions and social implications of their consumption. International Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 1(2):137-152.
Ali, M. and Tsou, C.S. (1997). “Combating micronutrient deficiencies through vegetables - A neglected food frontier in Asia.” Food Policy, 22:17-38.
Ann Garibaldi and Nancy Turne(2004).Cultural Keystone Species: Implications for Ecological Conservation and Restoration. Ecology and Society,9(3): 1.
Barirega A., Tabuti J.R.S., Van Damme P., Agea J.G., and Muwanika V. (2012). Potential for commercialization and value chain improvement of wild food and medicinal plants for livelihood enhancement in Uganda. Current Research Journal of Biological Science, 4(2):108-116.
Benz, B., Cevallos, J., Santana, F., Rosales, J., and Graf, S. (2000). “Losing knowledge about plant use in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.” Economic Botany, 54:183-191.
Bharucha, Z. and Pretty, J. (2010). The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365:2913–2926.
Bhattarai, S., Chaudhary, R.P., and Taylor, R.S.L. (2009). “Wild Edible Plants Used by the People of Manang District, Central Nepal.” Ecology of Food and Nutrition,48(1):1-20.
Bussmann, R.W. (2006). Ethnobotany of the Samburu of Mt. Nyiru, South Turkana, Kenya. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2:35.
Choudhury R., M. DattaChoudhury, B. De, and S.B. Paul (2010). Importance of certain tribal edible plants in Tripura.Indian. Journal of Traditional Knowledge,9(2): 300-302.
De Laucena, R.F.P., E. de Lima Araujo, and U.P. De Albuquerque (2007). Does the local availability of woody Caatinga plants (Northeastern Brazil) explain their use value? Economic Botany, 61: 347-361.
Donovan D. and R. Puri(2004). Learning from traditional knowledge of non-timber forest products: Penan Benalui and the autecology and aquarian Indonesian Borneo, Ecology and Society, 9 (3):3.
Dovie, D. B. K., E. T. F. Witkowski, and C. M. Shackleton (2008). Knowledge of plant resource use based on location, gender, and generation.Applied Geography, 28: 311-322.
ErmiasLulekal, ZemedeAsfaw, EnsermuKelbessa, and Patrick Van Damme (2011).Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: A review on their potential to combat food insecurity. afrika focuses Volume 24 (2): 71-121.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(2014). State of the World’s Forests. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3710e.pdf
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2017). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2017: building resilience for peace and food security. Rome.http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3710e.pdf
Gamble, J.S.(1957). Flora of the Presidency of Madras. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
Grivetti, L. E., and Ogle, B. M. (2000). Value of traditional foods in meeting macro- and micronutrient needs: the wild plant connection. Nutritional Research Review,13: 31–46.
Harisha R.P. and Padmavathy S. (2013). Knowledge and use of the wild edible plant in two communities in MalaiMadeshwara Hills, Southern India. International Journal of Botany, 9(2): 64-72.
Harisha R.P., Padmavathy S., and Nagaraja B.C. (2015). Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and its importance in South India: Perspective from the local community. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 14(1): 311-326.
Helen Newing, Christine Eagle, RajindraPuri, and C.W. Watson (2011). Conducting research in conservation a social science perspective. Routledge Press, 98-104.
High C. and Shackleton C.M. (2000). The comparative value of wild and domestic plants in home gardens of a South African rural village. Agroforestry System, 48: 141–156.
Indian Meteorological Data (2016). http://www.imd.gov.in
International Society of Ethnobiology the code and ethics(2013). http://www.ethnobiology.net/what-we-do/core-programs/ise-ethics-program/code-of-ethics/
Kothari, Ashish, NitinRai, and Madegowda, C. (2012). “Green approach, An alternative conservation model for the BRT Sanctuary is a step closer to becoming reality”. Conservation. Frontline, 29 (1): 9-102.
Madegowda C. (2009). Traditional Knowledge and Conservation.Economic and Political Weekly, May 23, 14:21.
Mala Rathore(2009). Nutrient content of important fruit trees from the arid zone of Rajasthan. Journal of Horticulture and Forestry,1 (7): 103-108.
Manuel Pardo-De-Santayana, Javier Tardi, and Ramo N. Morales (2005). The gathering consumption of wild edible plants in the Campoo (Cantabria, Spain). International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,56(7): 529/542.
Muthu, C., M. Ayyanar, N. Raja, and S. Ignacimuthu(2006). Medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of EthnobiologyEthnomedicine, 2.
Ojelel S. andKakudidi E.K.(2015). Wild edible plant species utilized by a subsistence farming community in Obalanga sub-county, Amuria district, Uganda. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine,11(1):7.
Ong H.C., P. F. J. Mojiun, and P. Milow(2011). Traditional knowledge of edible plants among the Temuan villagers in KampungGuntor, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 6(8): 1962-1965.
Phillips, O. and A.H. Gentry (1993). The useful plants of Tambopata, Peru: I. Statistical hypotheses tests with a new quantitative technique. Economic Botany, 47: 15-32.
Pieroni, A. (2001). Evaluation of the cultural significance of wild food botanicals traditionally gathered in northwestern Tuscany, Italy. Journal of Ethnobiology, 89–104.
Prasanna M. Shrestha and Shivcharn S. Dhillion(2006). Diversity and traditional knowledge concerning wild food species in a locally managed forest in Nepal.Agroforestry System, 66: 55-63.
Puri, R.K. (2015).The uniqueness of every day: Herders and invasive species in India. In Barnes, J. and M. Dove, eds., Climate Cultures: Anthropological Perspectives on Climate Change. Agrarian Studies Series, Ch 10: 249-72, New Haven: Yale University Press.
R Core Team (2013).A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.https://www.r-project.org/
Rao, K.S., Nautiyal S., Maikhuri R.K., and Saxena, K.G. (2003). Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in the Central Himalayas.Tropical Ecology, 44(1):93-111.
Saldanha, C.J. and D.H. Nicholson (1976). The Flora of Hassan District. Karnataka, Amerind Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India.
Santayana (2003a). The Letters of Gorge Santayana, Book One ([1868]-1909),Fernholz-Berger W.G.&Saatkamp Jr., H.J.(eds.), The Works of George Santayana, Volume V, Cambridge(Ma.) & London, The MIT Press.
Scherrer, A.M., Motti, R., and Weckerle, C.S. (2005).Traditional plant use in the areas of Monte Vesole and Ascea, Cilento National Park (Campania, Southern Italy).Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 97:129-143.
Shackleton, C.M. (2003). The prevalence of use and value of wild edible herbs in South Africa. South African Journal of Science,99: 23-25.
Shackleton, C.M. and Shackleton, S.E. (2004). The importance of Non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety-nets: Evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 100: 58-66.
Shackleton, C.M. and Shackleton, S.E. (2006). Household wealth status and natural resource use in the Kat River Valley, South Africa. Ecological Economics, 57: 306-317.
Shumsky, S.A., Hickey, G.M., Pelletier, B., and Johns T. (2014).Understanding the contribution of wild edible plants to rural social-ecological resilience in semi-arid Kenya. Ecology & Society, 19(4).
Sansanelli S., Ferri M., Salinitro M., and Tassoni A. (2017).Ethnobotanical survey of wild food plants traditionally collected and consumed in the Middle Agri Valley (Basilicata region, Southern Italy). Journal of Ethnobiology &Ethnomedicine,13(1):50.
Sundriyal, M., Sundriyal, R.C., and Sharma, E. (2003). “Dietary Use of Wild Plant Resources in the Sikkim Himalaya, India.” Economic Botany, 58(4):626-638.
Uma Shaanker R., K.N. Ganeshaiah, Smitha Krishnan, R. Ramya, C. Meera et al. (2004). Livelihood gains and ecological costs of non-timber forest product dependence: assessing the roles of dependence, ecological knowledge and market structure in three contrasting human and ecological settings in south India. Environmental Conservation, 31(3): 242–253.
Victoria Reyes-Garcia, Tomas Huanca, Vincent Vadez, William Leonard, and DawidWilkie(2006). Cultural, Practical and Economic value of Wild Plants: A quantitative study in the Bolivian Amazon. Economic Botany,60 (1): 62-74.
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2021-01-29
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R P, H., Setty R, S., & G, R. (2021). Dependency and Economic Benefits of Use of Wild Food Plants use among Tribal Communities in Malai Madeshawara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India: Economic importance of wild food plants. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture and Society, 9(2). Retrieved from https://thefutureoffoodjournal.com/manuscript/index.php/FOFJ/article/view/301
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