Forest, Foods and Nutrition

Forest ecosystems are an important biodiversity environment resource for many species. Forests and trees play a key role in food production and have relevant impact also on nutrition. Plants and animals in the forests make available nutrient-rich food sources, and can give an important contributions to dietary diversity, quality, and quantity. In this context, the Special Issue, entitled “Forest, Food and Nutrition”, is focused on the understanding of the intersection and linking existing between forests, food, and nutrition.

Download Full-text

Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: a cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016001324 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (17) ◽

pp. 3185-3196 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Robert Fungo ◽

John Muyonga ◽

Margaret Kabahenda ◽

Archileo Kaaya ◽

Clement A Okia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Food ◽

Forest Foods

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and estimate their association with household food insecurity.DesignCross-sectional survey conducted among 279 households. Using a 7 d recall questionnaire, information on household food consumption was collected from women and used to determine the household dietary diversity score, food variety score and forest food consumption score (FFCS). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score was determined and Spearman rank correlation was used to establish the relationship between consumption of forest foods and HFIAS score. Women’s dietary intake was estimated from two 24 h recalls. The contribution of forest foods to women’s nutrient intakes was calculated and women’s nutrient intakes were compared with estimated average nutrient requirements.SettingRural forest-dependent households in twelve villages in eastern and southern Cameroon.SubjectsHousehold heads and their non-pregnant, non-lactating spouses.ResultsForty-seven unique forest foods were identified; of these, seventeen were consumed by 98 % of respondents over the course of one week and by 17 % of women during the two 24 h recall periods. Although forest foods contributed approximately half of women’s total daily energy intake, considerably greater contributions were made to vitamin A (93 %), Na (100 %), Fe (85 %), Zn (88 %) and Ca (89 %) intakes. Despite a highly biodiverse pool of foods, most households (83 %) suffered from high food insecurity based on the HFIAS. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the HFIAS score and the FFCS (r2=−0·169, P=0·0006), demonstrating that forest foods play an important role in ensuring food security in these forest-dependent communities.ConclusionsForest foods are widely consumed by forest-dependent communities. Given their rich nutrient content, they have potential to contribute to food and nutrition security.

Download Full-text

The Spread of Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Journal of African History ◽

10.1017/s0021853700003042 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 211-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

J. Desmond Clark

Keyword(s):

Freshwater Fish ◽

Food Production ◽

Elaeis Guineensis ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Collecting Methods ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Equatorial Forest ◽

Forest Foods ◽

Permanent Presence

After the end of the Pleistocene, sub-Saharan Africa seems to have been more receptive of than contributory to cultural progress in the Old World as a whole. By that time favourable localities in the subcontinent—the margins of lakes and watercourses, the sea coasts, the peripheral regions of the equatorial forest—were sometimes supporting nearly, or entirely, sedentary communities of hunting-collecting peoples who were enabled to live in this way due to the permanent presence of one or more staple sources of food: freshwater fish, water animals and plants, and sea foods; and forest foods (the Dioscoreas, Elaeis guineensis, and other oil-bearing plants), either perennial or capable of being stored. Evidence of such occupation is seen in the midden accumulations in both cave and open sites at this time. Populations could thus become more concentrated and an increase in density may be inferred, the limiting factor being the maximum that any one environment could support by intensified collecting methods (fig. I).

Download Full-text

Availability, Preference, and Consumption of Indigenous Forest Foods in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania

Ecology of Food and Nutrition ◽

10.1080/03670241003766048 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 208-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Tuli S. Msuya ◽

Jafari R. Kideghesho ◽

Theobald C. E. Mosha

Keyword(s):

Eastern Arc Mountains ◽

Eastern Arc ◽

Indigenous Forest ◽

Forest Foods

Download Full-text

Socio-economic contributions of forest products to livelihoods in Yewa north local government ogun State Nigeria

Journal of Biotechnology and Biodiversity ◽

10.20873/jbb.uft.cemaf.v9n1.olawumi ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 001-011

Author(s):

Akinyode Olawumi ◽

Esward Adeseye Alademerin ◽

Sikiru Oluwole Banjo ◽

Rachel Ijisekan

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Local Government ◽

Forest Products ◽

Household Size ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Farm Size ◽

Ogun State ◽

Medical Facilities ◽

Household Assets ◽

Forest Foods

The study assessed contributions of forest products to nutrition and livelihoods in Yewa North Local Government of Ogun State, Nigeria. The main objective of the study found out the socio-economic contributions of the forest foods towards livelihoods in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. The specific objectives; identified and described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identified the available edible forest/wild plants and animals in the study area, determined the socio-economic factors influencing the use of forest foods in the study area as well as described major problems facing forest food collection, processing, marketing and consumption in the study area. Three hundred and fifty (350) respondents randomly selected from major communities were interviewed with questionnaire. Data generated were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Majority (65%) were males (88%) between 21 and 60 years. The principal household size was 6-10 (60%) persons; major occupation is farming (41%). Farm sizes were below a hectare. Majority (75%) lived in concrete houses and mud houses (22%). About half (45%) of the respondents uses water closets, pit latrines (32%) while 20% defecated in nearby bushes. Ninety percent possessed mobile phones for communication and 68% indicated availability of conventional medical facilities. Drinkable water was sourced from private boreholes (31%), public water (46%), streams (27%) and wells (12%). The source of energy is national grid (91%), kerosene stoves (56%) and firewood (28%). The respondents indicated high assets index in terms of household assets (81%) and farm assets (92%). Twenty-two plant species were identified of which 95% were eaten and twenty animal species were identified. Logistic regression model showed that sex and household size tended to increase the odds in favor of consumption of forest foods while age, educational farm size and tools owned tended to decrease consumption of forest foods. The principal problems confronting respondents were lack of storage facilities, poor transportation and shortage of wild foods during off seasons. The study concluded that forest products contribute significantly to livelihoods and recommends domestication and conservation.

Download Full-text

Quantities and values of selected forest foods harvested by eight villages adjacent to natural woodlands in the four ecological zones of rural Swaziland

African Journal of Food Science ◽

10.5897/ajfs11.067 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 5 (13) ◽

Author(s):

Cliff S. Dlamini

Keyword(s):

Ecological Zones ◽

Forest Foods

Download Full-text

Formation of Agrarian Production Infrastructure in the Areas Inhabited by Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North. Case Study of Krasnoyarsk

Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism ◽

10.14505//jemt.v10.1(33).09 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Denis Victorovich PARSHUKOV ◽

Victor Nikolayevich NEVZOROV ◽

Marina Anatolevna YANOVA ◽

Elena Nikolayevna OLEYNIKOVA ◽

Igor Victorovich MATSKEVICH

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Krasnoyarsk Krai ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Biological Resources ◽

The North ◽

Northern Territories ◽

Hunting And Fishing ◽

Forest Foods ◽

Ways Of Life

The article is devoted to the problems of protecting and developing traditions and ways of life of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North through employment. Stability of northern clans is reviewed through the problems related to the development of nature’s potential and the use of the northern territories’ biological resources, the creation of supporting agrarian zones in the inhabited areas and formation of relevant production infrastructure. The article addresses development directions of such traditional industries and trades of the North as reindeer herding, hunting and fishing, and gathering of forest foods. The authors chose for the research the Taymyr Dolgan-Nenets District and the Evenkiysky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, which are home to a large group of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North. Research methods include analysis of official and analytical reports, publications, regulations, results of field surveys, and economic calculations. It has been established that the districts under research have substantial resources for the development of traditional northern industries and trades. Having generalized the collected materials, the authors assessed the reserves of the areas’ biological resources, and potential production volumes for the traditional industries and trades, as well as determined locations for production infrastructure facilities. The main constraints to the development of the traditional industries and trades are the poor development of transportation infrastructure, the difficulties related to the export of goods from the areas, the monopolistic nature of the procurement of goods from indigenous peoples, and changes in the state approach to the management of northern territories.

Download Full-text