Eating From the Wild: Diversity of Wild Edible Plants Used by Tibetans in Shangri-La Region, Yunnan, China.

Eating from the wild: diversity of wild edible plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la region, Yunnan, China.

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2013 Apr 19; 9(1): 28
Ju Y, Zhuo J, Liu B, Long C

BACKGROUND: Locally harvested wild edible plants (WEPs) provide food as well as cash income for indigenous people and are of great importance in ensuring global food security. Some also play a significant role in maintaining the productivity and stability of traditional agro-ecosystems. Shangri-la region of Yunnan Province, SW China, is regarded as a biodiversity hotspot. People living there have accumulated traditional knowledge about plants. However, with economic development, WEPs are threatened and the associated traditional knowledge is in danger of being lost. Therefore, ethnobotanical surveys were conducted throughout this area to investigate and document the wild edible plants traditionally used by local Tibetan people. METHODS: Twenty-nine villages were selected to carry out the field investigations. Information was collected using direct observation, semi-structured interviews, individual discussions, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires and participatory rural appraisal (PRA). RESULTS: Information about 168 wild edible plant species in 116 genera of 62 families was recorded and specimens were collected. Most species were edible greens (80 species) or fruits (78). These WEPs are sources for local people, especially those living in remote rural areas, to obtain mineral elements and vitamins. More than half of the species (70%) have multiple use(s) besides food value. Some are crop wild relatives that could be used for crop improvement. Several also have potential values for further commercial exploitation. However, the utilization of WEPs and related knowledge are eroding rapidly, especially in the areas with convenient transportation and booming tourism. CONCLUSION: Wild food plants species are abundant and diverse in Shangri-la region. They provide food and nutrients to local people and could also be a source of cash income. However, both WEPs and their associated indigenous knowledge are facing various threats. Thus, conservation and sustainable utilization of these plants in this area are of the utmost importance. Documentation of these species may provide basic information for conservation, possibly further exploitation, and will preserve local traditional knowledge. HubMed – eating

[Feeding practices for malnourished children under two years old].

Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2012 Dec; 33(4): 118-25
Chuproski P, Tsupal PA, Furtado MC, de Mello DF

Analyze food practices of unnourished children under two years old.Exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study. Data were collected through participant observation and interviews. Participants were 42 subjects. The data were subjected to thematic analysis.The following themes emerged when addressing the eating habits of those children. Who prepares the food and what is prepared; How foods are prepared; Children’s eating routine; Where and how children are served. Food was varied little, with lacteous food at breakfast and snacks, and with food such as rice, potatoes, beans and sometimes meat at lunch. Fruits and vegetables were scarce and processed foods were present in all homes.It was possible to learn the daily eating habits, their inadequacies, insufficient food poor hygiene of complementary food, influence of grandmothers, inappropriate environment for meals and families’ living situation. HubMed – eating