Wild Plant Food Resources as Component of Dietary Diversity, Nutrition and Livelihood Security of Native Farming Communities of Uttarakhand Hills in North-western India: Some Policy Considerations for Promoting Their Sustainable Use

Abstract

Wild foods provide a greater dietary diversity to native communities of Uttarakhand hills in north-western India who rely on them. The wild plant resources supplement their diets which often are based on a narrow range of rainfed staples in traditional hill farming landscapes. The importance of wild plant food resources is exemplified mainly by their free and easy accessibility and nutritional richness, especially vitamins and micronutrients. The present study documents major factors responsible for lack of use of wild plant food resources as component of household dietary diversity negatively impacting community nutrition and health, prioritizing wild food plants for research and marketing interventions in specific agro-ecologies of Uttarakhand hills, and policy inputs for consideration of planners and policy makers for wild plant food resources conservation and their sustainable use. A strong policy support and political will for documentation and promoting LEK; preservation of natural habitats and CPRs; research on sustainable harvesting of wild plant resources for food and livelihood security, and developing nutrition composition database of wild plant resources aimed at facilitating cross-sectoral advocacy campaigns, etc., have been emphasized.