Underexploited wild plant foods of North-Western Patagonia

LADIO A H

Multidisciplinary Approaches on Food Science and Nutrition for the XXI Century

Research Signpost

Lugar: Kerala, India; Año: 2011; p. 1 - 16

Given that food shortages are likely to become more severe in the future, people will have to depend increasingly on plants rather than animals for subsistence. It is well recognized that research into ways of increasing the yield of these food plants is urgently needed. Paradoxically, commercial agriculture at a global level depends on a small number of species (no more than 20), a situation of risk, given that monocultures are extremely vulnerable to catastrophic variations. To help feed the increasing world population, it is time to consider neglected or little-known wild plant species. The rural communities of Argentina and Chile with Mapuche and Tehuelche ancestry have a vast knowledge of wild edible plants from the temperate forests and arid zones of Patagonia. An ethnobotanical information review on the potential contribution of these traditional wild edible plants to food systems was presented. In addition, we described a total of 20 wild edible species of great cultural and nutritional significance. Edible wild plant gathering is suffering a profound erosion process amongst the young, loosing the knowledge and use of plants, which could have a major impact on the survival of their plant wisdom. Projects promoting the cultivation of these traditional native resources would be essential in the future to prevent further loss of wild edible plant biodiversity and preserve their food sovereignty. In addition, local development agencies concerned with agriculture should consider sponsoring a system of horticultural facilities for the pursuit of agronomic research and extension on lesser-known indigenous species.