Inventory of the biodiversity of traditional vegetables consumed by the people of the Nyong and Kelle Division: Cameroon

Abstract

The present work aims to show the biodiversity of traditional vegetables consumed by the people of the Nyong and Kelle division by an inventory. Traditional vegetables are those vegetables which originate from a locality or imported from another area, but are consumed by the people of the locality for many years (between twenty five and thirty) years. The consumption habit is transmitted from generation to generation. These vegetables become the heritage of the people consuming them. Some traditional vegetables are been abandoned nowadays in a way that if nothing is done they will disappear and this will lead to the loss of the food identity of this people. A systematic survey was carried out to identify the traditional vegetables found in the markets and crop farms in ten sub divisions of the Nyong and kelle division. In all 25traditional vegetables were recorded and fell under 15 botanical families according to the Linear Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III classification. According to parts of vegetables consumed 76% leafy, 12% fruit, 4%seed, 4% stem and 4% root vegetables were recorded .76% of the vegetables was cultivated and 14%was not cultivated. Some vegetables were used in folk medicine by the people to heal certain illnesses. The abandoned vegetables have to be encouraged for sustainable development and for the preservation of the food identity of the people of the Nyong and kelle division.