Re: [pronut-hiv] Potential role for wild vegetables in household foodsecurity: FAO document (2)

["Kristof & Stacia Nordin" <nordin@eomw.net>]

I am in full support of utilizing indigenous foods as part of food security, but there are several parts of the FAO documnent that need to be revised related to poor sanitation messages, inclusion of sugar as an energy source,and recommending too much starch.  There needs to be more emphasis on nutrient density of foods and local resources.  I submitted my comments to FAO when the book was released, and I believe they will change future drafts to make corrections.  I really like the layout and size of their document,and about 80 percent of it is right on.

I find David Patient's materials much more focused on nutrient density and 
local resources, with all around good advice (contact David Patient at 
david@empow.co.za or www.empowermentconcepts.com or www.empow.co.za )

Also excellent materials from Lynde Francis at the centre, contact 
centre@ecoweb.co.zw  , her materials are on the JSI website 
http://www.jsieurope.org/publications.html which are both exotic and local.

Also at that site you can find Anna Brazier's <abrazier@mango.zw> work with herbs and low input gardening to produce local foods (she also has a lot of exotics included).

I have a lot of information on local resources for Eastern Africa, 
Permaculture and other forms of sustainable living methods.  If anyone is 
interested I am happy to send you a CD.

Stacia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stacia Nordin, RD
Specialist in Sustainable Food & Nutrtion Security and HIV/AIDS
* American Overseas Dietetic Association, incoming President Elect, 
www.eatrightoverseas.org/aoda
* Permaculture Network in Malawi, Newsletter co-editor
* Nutrition Society of Malawi, Treasurer
* GTZ Basic Education, Sustainable School Food & Nutrition
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal contacts:
Crossroads Post Dot Net X-124, Lilongwe, Malawi
+265  1-707-213  (home)
+265  9-333-073  (home cell)
nordin@eomw.net
www.neverendingfood.org (being built right now!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


----- "Jindra Cekan"wrote:



An excellent document from the FAO that I've been recommending to 
organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS care and support in Africa is "Living 
Well With HIV/AIDS"
  http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?

url_file=/docrep/005/y4168e/y4168e00.htm

It includes many local varieties of foods/ wild vegetables that can be 
beneficial.

  Regards,
          Jindra Cekan, PhD
CEKAN CONSULTING LLC
  Food Security/ Livelihoods and HIV/AIDS Proposals, Training, Facilitation
323 11th Street NE Suite 100
Washington DC 20002 USA
  jindracekan@yahoo.com
US tel: 202-375-3119
Czech tel: 420-731-106-296

--- ProNut-HIV  wrote:

Potential role for wild vegetables in household food security: A
preliminary case study in Kwazulu -Natal, South AFrica
Modi M1, Modi AT*2 and Hendriks S1
Minse Modi Albert Modi* Sheryl Hendriks

http://www.ajfand.net/Issue-X-files/pdfs/AJFANDvol6no1PRA1.pdf

ABSTRACT
The value of wild edible vegetables in food security has not been given
sufficient attention in South Africa. Consequently, there are no formal
interventions that seek to encourage people to use traditional
vegetables as sources of essential nutrients. Studies on the role of
wild leafy vegetables in food security could provide important
information for development of policies on careful exploitation of
natural resources for human sustenance.

The objective of this study was to provide a rapid assessment of
general knowledge about wild leafy vegetables among subsistence farmers
from Ezigeni, a rural location in South Africa, and to determine the
availability of wild leafy vegetables from cropping fields during spring
- before the cropping season started. A focus group discussion and
transect walk were used to collect qualitative data on knowledge of
traditional vegetables. Availability of wild leafy vegetables was
quantified using one-square-meter plots, randomly located in a cropping
field and in an area that has never been cultivated (veld).

Results showed that knowledge of wild leafy vegetables among the
participants was positively correlated with age. Education status
improved knowledge of wild vegetables for middle-aged participants, but not 
for the youth (35 years or younger). Availability of wild edible leafy
vegetables (plant numbers and yield) increased from August to October,
but there was a significant difference between species. Data from a
focus group discussion showed that wild leafy vegetable availability
occurred early in spring, when traditional crops were less abundant. It
is concluded that knowledge of wild leafy vegetables may be lost in the
near future, unless efforts are made to educate younger generations
about their importance. They could be used as an important source of
nutrients during the pre-cropping season, before traditional crops are 
available for human consumption. It is recommended that agronomic 
investigations into cultivation of wild leafy vegetables that are adapted to 
rural areas where exotic leafy vegetables are not widely available be 
undertaken.
Those studies could contribute significantly in government policies to
improve food security in rural areas, and in the improvement of wild
vegetable status, whose potential as sources of nutrition is currently
undervalued.

Key words: availability, knowledge, wild leafy vegetables