Record Details

Access to and utilization of wild species for food and nutrition security in Teso and Acholi Sub-regions of Uganda

CGSpace

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Access to and utilization of wild species for food and nutrition security in Teso and Acholi Sub-regions of Uganda
 
Creator Ekesa, Beatrice
Fongar, Andrea
Nasser, Mulumba
 
Subject wild plants
wild animals
food security
nutrition security
uses
plantas silvestres
animal salvaje
seguridad alimentaria
 
Description Wild foods significantly contribute to the global food basket, and food and nutrition security. Worldwide, wild food species form an integral part of local diets and their widespread assimilation into local food culture suggests an untapped potential to ensure easy availability and access to micronutrients for sustainable food systems. However, wild species are often overlooked within nutrition-related policies, and their levels of availability remain unknown. This paper, therefore, focuses on understanding the changes in availability, access and utilization of wild animal and plant species in Teso and Acholi sub-regions of Uganda. A four-cell agrobiodiversity mapping protocol was applied through focus group discussions to establish the different wild animal and plant species that have played and still play a role within local communities' livelihoods in the two sub-regions. Findings showed that at the time of the study (2017), wild foods were considered to be important contributors to food and nutrition security, although the number of species reported to be available was slightly lower [91 (Acholi) and 103 (Teso)], compared to 20 years ago, where around 109 edible wild species were reportedly available in both the Acholi and Teso sub-regions. Reasons for the decline included (i) increased cultivations, and (ii) natural habitat destruction due to settlements and changes in land ownership. In the latter case, individual owners have further fragmented their land and do not allow villagers to freely participate in hunting and gathering. Lastly, rebel unrest increased feelings of insecurity, and thus prompted a decline in hunting and gathering. The noted presence and contribution of wild foods in Teso and Acholi calls for collective efforts to increase access to knowledge on the value of these wild foods for not only food and nutrition but also for their potential contribution to the social and cultural lives of the people.
 
Date 2022-06-28
2022-06-30T07:05:11Z
2022-06-30T07:05:11Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Ekesa, B; Fongar, A; Nasser, M (2022) Access to and utilization of wild species for food and nutrition security in Teso and Acholi Sub-regions of Uganda. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6: 836212. 16 p. ISSN: 2571-581X
2571-581X
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/119976
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.836212
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-4.0
Open Access
 
Format 16 p.
application/pdf
 
Publisher Frontiers Media SA
 
Source Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems