Many wild edible species are disappearing due to environmental pressures or to neglect as populations worldwide move away from traditional food systems towards more simplified and energy-rich diets and become averse to consuming traditional dishes that are perceived as “food for the poor”, only to be drawn upon in times of food scarcity

Borelli, Teresa

Hunter, D.

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IUCN - Unlocking the potential of wild ediblesfile:////HQ46VM/Allshare/LIBRARY/WEB%20CATALOGUE/TO%20BE%20UP/2014065/Unlocking%20the%20potential%20of%20wild%20edibles_1752.htm[5/20/2014 10:22:06 AM]Unlocking the potential of wild ediblesHome  About IUCN  Our Union  Commissions  CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group  SULiNewsIssue 7 (December 2013)  Wild ediblesBy Teresa Borelli and Danny HunterMany wild edible species are disappearing due to environmental pressures or to neglect aspopulations worldwide move away from traditional food systems towards more simplified andenergy-rich diets and become averse to consuming traditional dishes that are perceived as “foodfor the poor”, only to be drawn upon in times of food scarcity.To reverse this trend and unlock the full potential of wild edibles, the Biodiversity for Food andNutrition project (BFN Project) - is working with the governments of Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka andTurkey – four countries that are biodiversity hotspots – to promote the conservation andsustainable use of nutritionally-relevant local biodiversity. The project, which is funded by theGlobal Environment Facility and the CGIAR (Consortium of International Agricultural ResearchCentres) Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) research programme, managed byBioversity International and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme and theFood and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, is doing so by exploring the nutritionalproperties of a select number of species in each country and building on pre-existing work toidentify a list of traditional and/or neglected foods with nutrition potential.One such example is the Plants for the Future initiative in Brazil, which has identified hundreds ofspecies of economic potential that require further characterization. Termites, roots and tubers,leafy vegetables, mushrooms and wild fruits are some of the current contenders from the fourcountries that, if suitable, will form the basis for an approach to improve dietary diversity: one thatputs traditional, culturally-acceptable and nutritious food at its core.Within each country, national BFN project coordination units are in the process of setting upcollaborations that bring together the agriculture, health, environment and education sectors ineach country in order to integrate information and knowledge of nutrient-dense foods generatedby the project into national policies, programmes and strategies addressing food security andnutrition. There is already fresh recognition in the four countries, as well as worldwide (1), of theimportant role of traditional and wild foods in food and nutrition security policies andprogrammes. Only last month Brazil launched the Agroecology and Organic Production Plan witha US$ 8.8 million budget in support of initiatives relating to the access, use, conservation andmanagement of natural resources, with special emphasis on local biodiversity, including plans forthe nutritional characterization of 40 indigenous species of Brazilian flora of current or potentialeconomic value and the role that these may play in promoting food security and healthy diets.The remaining three countries are not far behind with national biodiversity action plans thatrecognize the importance of conserving wild foods and indigenous varieties and promoting foodsecurity strategies that revitalize regional food production and distribution in areas where priceand production volatility, and hunger and malnutrition are rife.As well as promoting exchange, sharing and learning among countries, evidence generated bythe project on the importance of wild edibles will be shared with a much wider international arenafor greater impact. Given the current level of interest in food and nutrition security and in bridgingagriculture and conservation, the BFN Project can play a pivotal role in moving forward theagenda of wild biodiversity. To this end it will link with the Cross-cutting initiative on biodiversityfor food and nutrition of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which aims to promote thesustainable use of biodiversity in programmes contributing to food security and improved humannutrition as well as contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the CBD, particularly Target 13on the conservation of both wild and cultivated biodiversity. Important information on thenutritional value of wild foods can be found in a recent open access article in Sustainability (2).The Project also informs the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculturewhich is tasked with drafting the First Report on the State of the World's Biodiversity for Foodand Agriculture due to be published in 2017. The report will provide a full description of the stateof conservation and use of the world’s biodiversity for food and agriculture and of its current andpotential contributions to human well-being.Since many of these species occur inside and outside protected areas, collaboration will also beCEESP/SSC SustainableUse and LivelihoodsSpecialist GroupWhat we doSULiNewsResourcesMembershipSULI E-NEWSLETTERSubscribe to the SULi e-newsletter - issuedapproximately 4 times ayear   ENGLISH FRANÇAIS ESPAÑOL Issue 1 (May 2012)Issue 2 (August 2012)Issue 3 (November 2012)Issue 4 (March 2013)Issue 5 (July 2013)Issue 6 (September 2013)Issue 7 (December 2013)Chair's messageWildlife farming and tradeIvory trade in ChinaWild ediblesSustainable use controversyTransfrontier ConservationEconomics of fishing andhuntingIndigenous hunting practicesPangolin conservationSpiritual and cultural valuesCollaborative Partnership onWildlifeBear farming meetingHunting for solutionsVerified Conservation AreasPast issuesHome About IUCN What we do Where we work News Resources Get involved Media Contact usIUCN - Unlocking the potential of wild ediblesfile:////HQ46VM/Allshare/LIBRARY/WEB%20CATALOGUE/TO%20BE%20UP/2014065/Unlocking%20the%20potential%20of%20wild%20edibles_1752.htm[5/20/2014 10:22:06 AM]// CONCEPT, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY BY GETUNIK.COMsought with landscape conservation initiatives that go beyond park boundaries and engage withcommunities, NGOs and other stakeholders to sustainably manage these resources and avoidover-exploitation. Particularly important will be strengthening collaboration with IUCN andhighlighting the importance of wild biodiversity conservation and use at the forthcoming 2014IUCN World Parks Congress.To raise awareness of the importance of wild and cultivated biodiversity, examples of bestpractices that are successfully linking the sustainable use of wild and cultivated biodiversity tonutrition outcomes are being collected and showcased in the BFN project website encouragingconservation and nutrition practitioners to implement similar cross-cutting initiatives in differentgeographical contexts.A number of recommendations have been developed to inform the above-mentioned initiatives ofthe importance of wild edibles; among them:Encourage research that examines the relative contribution of wild foods to local diets andnutrition.Improve understanding of the risks associated with over-harvesting wild edibles andchanges to access as they become more valuable.Raise awareness of the benefits and promote the consumption of nutritious wild ediblesPromote better integration of information on nutritious wild edibles into strategies addressingfood security, nutrition, conservation and land-use planning and policy.Teresa Borelli is the Programme Specialist of the UNEP/FAO/GEF Biodiversity for Food andDiversity at Bioversity International: t.borelli@cgiar.org Danny Hunter is the Global Project Coordinator of the UNEP/FAO/GEF Biodiversity for Food andDiversity at Bioversity International: d.hunter@cgiar.org References(1) Bharucha Z. and Pretty J. (2010) The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems.Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 365, doi: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0123(2) Vinceti B., Termote C., Ickowitz A., Powell B., Kehlenbeck K. and Hunter D. (2013) TheContribution of Forests and Trees to Sustainable Diets. Sustainability 2013, 5, 4797-4824;doi:10.3390/su5114797 Wild mushrooms can contribute to nutritional security in Western KenyaPhoto: Danny HunterSERVICES SUBSCRIPTION MORE SHARING SERVICESBOOKMARK & SHARE | SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER SHARE ON MYSPACE SHARE ON GOOGLEPage last updated: December 15, 2013. © All photos/graphics remain the copyright of IUCN

Unlocking the potential of wild edibles

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Unlocking the potential of wild edibles

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