The role of wild vegetables in household food security in South Africa: A review

Abstract

Wild vegetables are a common and important source of food and nutrition in the rural areas where they can be harvested from backyard gardens, animal houses or agricultural fields. These plant species which were initially primary sources of food in many societies have been marginalised in favour of exotic vegetables. Micronutrient deficiencies, especially in children, continue to be a global cause for concern and yet numerous reports have revealed the high nutritional value of wild vegetables. If they are incorporated into the diet, wild vegetables can alleviate some of the micronutrient deficiency concerns. In this paper, literature on ethnobotanical knowledge of wild vegetables in South Africa is reviewed with a view to reveal their potential role in household food security. The outcome of the literature search revealed only 103 plant species from a total of 33 families in five out of nine provinces. In South Africa the cultivation of these wild vegetables has so far been limited to only two provinces. These important plant foods are clearly underutilised although they potentially have a big role to play in food security. Wild vegetables need to be revitalised and brought back into the mainstream diet so that they can play their role in food security. More work needs to be done to document these important food plants in all the provinces of South Africa to create an updated inventory. If these species continue to be neglected and underappreciated, knowledge about them may soon be lost in time and never be recovered.