Knowledge, use and management of native wild edible plants from a seasonal dry forest (NE, Brazil)

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque²  Nivaldo Peroni³  Margarita Paloma Cruz¹ 

[1] Colombian Society of Ethnobiology, Bogotá, Colombia;Biology Department, Laboratory of Applied and Theoretical Ethnobiology, Botany Area, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil;Ecology and Zoology Department (ECZ), Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil

关键词: Rural communities;    Food plants;    Consumption;    Human ecology;    Ethnobotany;   

Others  :  862012
DOI  :  10.1186/1746-4269-9-79

 received in 2013-05-28, accepted in 2013-11-13,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Despite being an ancient practice that satisfies basic human needs, the use of wild edible plants tends to be forgotten along with associated knowledge in rural communities. The objective of this work is to analyze existing relationships between knowledge, use, and management of native wild edible plants and socioeconomic factors such as age, gender, family income, individual income, past occupation and current occupation.

Methods

The field work took place between 2009 and 2010 in the community of Carão, Altinho municipality, in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 members of the community regarding knowledge, use and management of 14 native wild edible plants from the Caatinga region, corresponding to 12 vegetable species. In parallel, we documented the socioeconomic aspects of the interviewed population (age, gender, family income, individual income, past occupation and current occupation).

Results

Knowledge about edible plants was related to age but not to current occupation or use. Current use was not associated with age, gender or occupation. The association between age and past use may indicate abandonment of these resources.

Conclusion

Because conservation of the species is not endangered by their use but by deforestation of the ecosystems in which these plants grow, we suggest that the promotion and consumption of the plants by community members is convenient and thereby stimulates the appropriation and consequent protection of the ecosystem. To promote consumption of these plants, it is important to begin by teaching people about plant species that can be used for their alimentation, disproving existing myths about plant use, and encouraging diversification of use by motivating the invention of new preparation methods. An example of how this can be achieved is through events like the “Preserves Festival”.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Cruz et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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