The trauma of no-choice: Wild food ethnobotany in Yaghnobi and Tajik villages, Varzob Valley, Tajikistan

Renata Sõukand,Julia Prakofjewa,Andrea Pieroni

doi:10.1007/s10722-021-01200-w

Renata Sõukand, Julia Prakofjewa + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01200-w

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Abstract

Due to global change and the migration crisis both needing rapid attention, there has been growing debate about the drivers of change in the diet of migrants. Our study aimed to evaluate the consequences of forced resettlement on local ecological knowledge related to wild food plants among forcefully resettled Yaghnobi people in Tajikistan. We conducted 49 semi-structured in-depth interviews and recorded 27 wild food taxa and five unidentified folk taxa used by Yaghnobis and Tajiks in the villages surrounding Yaghnob Valley (including families ressetteled from Yaghnob Valley) in central Tajikitsan. The comparision between the two considered groups showed a high level of Tajikisation among Yaghnobis, both those who live alongside Tajiks as well as those living separately. The few families that still have distinct Yaghnobi plant uses are the ones which were given the opportunity to choose the spot in which to relocate and still visit the Yaghnob Valley regularly. On the basis of our study, we suggest that affording a choice of where to relocate is better than no choice, as the loss of motivation also affects the use of wild food plants. Given the pressure of the possible relocation of many groups of people in the light of global change, we suggest focusing efforts on studying similar cases in order to minimize the damage caused to people by relocation. The trauma of forced relocation, even just a few kilometers away, directly or indirectly affects wild food plant use and with this the food security of the community.

Highlights

Due to global change and the migration crisis both needing rapid attention, there has been growing debate about the drivers of change in the diet of migrants
On the basis of our study, we suggest that affording a choice of where to relocate is better than no choice, as the loss of motivation affects the use of wild food plants
Our study showed a high level of Tajikisation among Yaghnobis, both those who live alongside Tajiks as well as those living separately

Summary

Introduction

Due to global change and the migration crisis both needing rapid attention, there has been growing debate about the drivers of change in the diet of migrants (see, for example, Kershen 2017). The majority of studies, addressing cultural adaptation/resilience have been conducted for relocations far from the place of origin of the researched group (Fontefrancesco et al 2019 and references therein). The fact that army forces and helicopters were used to relocate people puts the relocation on the very involuntary end of the migration continuum (sensu Erdal and Oeppen 2018). Subsequent to this displacement, change in daily customs and child labor in the cotton fields caused a state of malnutrition and an outbreak of epidemic diseases region among resettlers (Cilli et al 2011). It should be noted that official sources stated that Yaghnobis were satisfied with this move and had decided to abandon the homeland of their ancestors of their own free will (Loy 2013)

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