Subsistence Food Research Articles

English

Hitherto the primary focus of agricultural extension in Borno State has been to ensure increasing agricultural production for food security. However, the current emphasis is on enhancing rural incomes through market re-orientation. This change was necessitated by the realization that subsistence food production can no longer provide for a decent living and therefore increased engagement in commercial food production and markets has become a necessity and reality for the rural farmers. The paper explored the significance of agricultural extension in improving the marketing system in Borno State with focus on how market-oriented agricultural advisory services (MOAAS) could assist in addressing the marketing constraints faced by actors along the value chains and plethora of agricultural marketing bottlenecks in the state.  To avail value chain actors of required information and extension services and enable them take advantage of market opportunities entails the need for the adoption of market-led extension approach by the Borno State Agricultural Development Programme (BOSADP); the pursuance of deliberate and conscious strategy for pro-poor MOAAS and Borno State government as a matter of policy undertake the recruitment and deployment of market-oriented extension workers and engage in capacity building to develop the marketing skills of the existing staff. Key words: Market re-orientation, extension services, value chain development, marketing extension.  

‘It connects me to the earth:’ marginalized environmentalism and a resistance to capitalist logic among subsistence food producers in Chicago

ABSTRACTUsing qualitative methodologies to explore subsistence food production in Chicago, this paper suggests that in the process of self-producing food, self-provisioners are becoming more acquainted with the ecological conditions of their existence, thereby countering the logic of the capitalist food system which inherently distances and alienates. Some of the reported practices of subsistence food production include composting, water saving/reduction, food localization, closed-loop nutrient cycling, soil remediation, and promoting biological diversity. This research suggests that those seeking to study positive human-environment innovation should look beyond those that simply identify as political environmentalists. We must begin to look at populations that are marginalized by the relatively privileged environmentalist community in order to learn about important directions in sustainable futures.

Arrhenatherum elatius ssp. bulbosum Revisited – A Practical Approach to Decode Past Plant-related Activities

ABSTRACT The charred bulbs of tuber oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius ssp. bulbosum) are found in different archaeological contexts from various periods all over Europe. However, following the pre-Roman Iron Age, the occurrence of the plant gets scarcer. To understand why and how the bulbs of tuber oat grass have entered the archaeological record, it is crucial to study the habitus and the ecology of the plant. Therefore, growing, drying, charring and consumption experiments were carried out between 2012 and 2014. The empirical data from these experiments contributes to gaining a better understanding of subsistence practices and food choices in past societies.

Relief food subsistence revealed by microparticle and proteomic analyses of dental calculus from victims of the Great Irish Famine

Food and diet were class markers in 19th-century Ireland, which became evident as nearly 1 million people, primarily the poor and destitute, died as a consequence of the notorious Great Famine of 1845 to 1852. Famine took hold after a blight (Phytophthora infestans) destroyed virtually the only means of subsistence-the potato crop-for a significant proportion of the population. This study seeks to elucidate the variability of diet in mid-19th-century Ireland through microparticle and proteomic analysis of human dental calculus samples (n = 42) from victims of the famine. The samples derive from remains of people who died between August 1847 and March 1851 while receiving poor relief as inmates in the union workhouse in the city of Kilkenny (52°39' N, -7°15' W). The results corroborate the historical accounts of food provisions before and during the famine, with evidence of corn (maize), potato, and cereal starch granules from the microparticle analysis and milk protein from the proteomic analysis. Unexpectedly, there is also evidence of egg protein-a food source generally reserved only for export and the better-off social classes-which highlights the variability of the prefamine experience for those who died. Through historical contextualization, this study shows how the notoriously monotonous potato diet of the poor was opportunistically supplemented by other foodstuffs. While the Great Irish Famine was one of the worst subsistence crises in history, it was foremost a social disaster induced by the lack of access to food and not the lack of food availability.

Electrofishing as a potential threat to freshwater cetaceans

Electrofishing is an accepted practice for legal fish sampling and surveying, but its use for subsistence food and market fishing has long been illegal in most countries. Illegal use affects freshwater fish populations in many parts of the world, and has been cited as a cause of mortality for endangered freshwater cetaceans in China (Yangtze dolphins and finless porpoises) and Southeast Asia (Ayeyarwady, Mekong, and Mahakam dolphins in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia, respectively), although the extent of this threat to cetaceans is unclear. Given their threatened status, these populations can ill afford such mortality in addition to the other threats they face (e.g. entanglement in gillnets, habitat deterioration and loss, declines in prey). Here, we review the evidence that electrofishing is a serious threat to freshwater cetaceans. It may alter the behavior of dolphins and porpoises, and contact with electrical currents may even directly kill or injure these animals, although questions remain unanswered concerning the exact nature and scale of the impacts. While other threats may appear more certain and urgent, electrofishing could be playing a significant role in driving the declines of some critically endangered freshwater cetaceans in Asia. Due to ethical and logistical challenges to improving our understanding of the impacts of electrical currents on cetaceans, clear descriptions of lesions in dead animals found stranded are needed to characterize the damage caused by electrofishing, to be more certain about cause and effect beyond spatiotemporal associations, and to determine the extent of this threat. Mortality from electrofishing seems to be uncommon, but in face of the uncertainties and the numerous other threats to these small populations, high priority should be given to enforcing electrofishing bans in the freshwater habitat of dolphins and finless porpoises.

Food Dependency in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Simply a Matter of ‘Vulnerability’, or Missed Development Opportunity?

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to refocus some of the attention devoted in the past several decades to the issue of food security in sub‐Saharan Africa to the broader context of food dependency. Using panel data for 44 countries over a period of 51 years (1961–2011), the article tests several hypotheses drawn from Lewis's classical model of development characterized by ‘unlimited supplies of labour’. The model requires either rising agricultural productivity (the closed model) or imports of global market foodstuffs (the open model) to ensure the low food prices and wages required for capital accumulation. Empirical results reject a positive association between food dependency, as represented by five decades of increasing per capita grain imports, and any measurable level of economic modernization with sufficient forward momentum to spur or justify such dependency. Results suggest instead a significant correlation between increasing food dependency and separate panel time periods associated with differing trade and policy regimes. More importantly, empirical results call for a re‐evaluation of Lewis's original development model, focusing on the pivotal role of a supported food subsistence sector in creating economic possibilities for development.

Land use, income, and ethnic diversity in the margins of Hutan Harapan – A rainforest restoration concession in Jambi and South sumatra, Indonesia

Recent initiatives at a global scale have called for unprecedented levels of forest restoration to counteract decades of rapid deforestation. This study of the first rainforest restoration concession granted in Indonesia investigates the association between land use, ethnicity, migration, agricultural intensification, concession types, and household incomes. Understanding the effect of agricultural expansion and immigration on the rural landscape requires quantification of the land use and income sources of households residing in the forest margin where dynamic agricultural, socioeconomic development and forest loss takes place. The study is based on an environmentally augmented income survey covering 236 randomly selected households in five villages and five indigenous, semi-nomadic Batin Sembilan sub-groups, scattered in and around Hutan Harapan. Land use ranges from the cultivation of subsistence food through agroforestry, home gardens, and paddy fields to the development of rubber and oil palm plantations for cash income. Indigenous households were more likely to practice agroforestry than non-indigenous households. Among non-indigenous households, Malays maintain their traditional practice of rubber cultivation while more recent immigrants use land to oil palm plantations. Households residing within timber plantation concessions are more likely to establish rubber monoculture and agroforestry, while households residing in the vicinity of oil palm concessions plant oil palm. Reserving land for forest restoration affects ethnic groups differently. The traditional agricultural practices of the indigenous Batin Sembilan were well-suited to co-exist with the forest restoration concession. However, the Batin Sembilan recently adopted oil palm cultivation as practiced by immigrants in the surrounding oil palm concessions confirming that land use outcomes may be induced by neighborhood spill-over effects.

The role of dry land forests for climate change adaptation: the case of Liben Woreda, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia

BackgroundDespite the increasing role of dry forests in climate change adaptation and mitigation, these versatile resources has got less attention in the national and regional planning, their potential to enhance the local and national economy has been overlooked, and their contribution to sustainable environmental management has not been recognized. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the socioeconomic contribution of dry forests and forest products to climate change adaptation in the Liben Woreda, Southern Oromia region of Ethiopia.MethodsFor this study, an integrated qualitative and quantitative approach was used. A total of 74 households from villages in the Bulbul, Boba, and Melka-Guba kebeles were randomly selected for the household survey.ResultsResults showed that 75% of the respondents in the area indicated that climate change has become their major sources of vulnerability, where drought has been manifested in the form of crops failure and massive death of livestock particularly cattle species. The main income strategies of the study households include livestock, crop, forests such as gum and resins, firewood and charcoal and non-farm activities such as in the form of petty trade, wage and aid. The average total household income was ETB 11,209.7. Out of this, dry forest income constituted 15% of the total income. In addition to using dry forests as rangeland for livestock, the communities collect wood for construction, fodder, traditional medicine, and forest food both for subsistence and for sale. On the other hand, dry forest products could be considered as less vulnerable, rather resilient livelihood strategies to climate- and environment-related risks compared to livestock and crop production such as in the face of drought periods. More than 48.6% of the households argued that the income generated from dry forests increased substantially due to increment in the level of engagement of family members in forest based income activities. On the other hand, 35.8% of the households responded that livestock production, particularly camels and goats, have been making the livelihood strategies of the respondents more resilient indicating the shift made from grazers browsers to livestock. In general trends show that, the trends of livelihood dependency on dry forest were highly increasing indicating the importance of dry forest income in responsse to frequent droughts. ConclusionsDry forest income has been becoming crucial livelihood staretgy in response to frequent droughts in the study area and hence, it is important to improve the management of dry forests for livelihood enhancement, while also securing their long-term ecological functions.

A conspiracy of silence: Subsistence hunting rights in the Brazilian Amazon

Subsistence hunting is an important cultural activity and a major source of dietary protein and other products for indigenous and non-indigenous populations throughout Amazonia. Nonetheless, subsistence hunting occupies an uncertain legal status in Brazil, leaving many traditional and rural Amazonian populations subject to arbitrary interpretation and enforcement of contradictory laws. The Brazilian Wildlife Protection Act of 1967, which helped to stem the slaughter of wild animals for the international hide market, made the hunting of all wild animals illegal. Later, only indigenous peoples had their rights to hunting explicitly recognized in Brazilian laws. Exceptions for other traditional and rural populations were then introduced, allowing subsistence hunters to own and license guns and hunt with them in a “state of necessity” or “to quench hunger” through the Brazilian Disarmament Statute and Environmental Crimes Law. These legal inconsistences mean that there is no single regulatory framework for subsistence hunting in Brazil. This scenario of uncertainties jeopardizes the establishment of consistent sustainable hunting management practices across Brazilian indigenous lands, sustainable use reserves and agrarian reform settlement areas. This article analyzes the relevant legislation and examines evidence from key studies with a view towards implementing robust, scientifically informed and practically feasible co-management strategies for indigenous and sustainable use reserves in the Brazilian Amazon. By focusing on subsistence rights, food sovereignty and organizational autonomy as guaranteed in international agreements ratified in Brazil, the framework presented here involves empowerment and technical training of local people in Amazonia to monitor and manage their own resource base.

Quantified Soil Evolution Under Shifting Agriculture in Southern Cameroon

In the tropical rain forest zone of Southern Cameroon, shifting cultivation and perennial plantations of cocoa are the main farming systems practiced by small-scale farmers to ensure subsistence food crop production and a small income. This research used scientific modelling tools to produce quantitative information on the evolution of soils under this shifting agricultural system. An analysis of farming system led to the development of a conceptual model of the spatio-temporal dynamics of shifting agriculture, including transition matrices of rotational cycles that guided the sampling strategy for the study of soil evolution under the system. The study of soil variability showed that 30-35% of the total variance of some topsoil (0-20 cm) properties was due to the influence of land use practices. Five soil properties (pH, calcium, available phosphorus, bulk density and organic carbon) that are the most sensitive to these agricultural practices were empirically modelled and linear/quadratic fractional rational functions were successfully fitted to time series soil variables to derive quantitative measures on temporal changes in soil with land use. Data and methods produced are useful for soil quality assessment and spatio-temporal dynamic simulation in order to guide decision-making for sustainable land-use planning and soil resources management.

Opportunities for Enhancing Production, Utilization and Marketing of Finger Millet in Africa

The world is faced with the challenge to produce more food to feed a projected 9 billion people worldwide; including 2.5 billion in Africa. Just a few “mega-crops” currently feed the world, with rice, wheat and maize providing 60 percent of the total population’s energy intake. Finger millet belongs to a group of secondary crops that provide another 25 percent of the world’s food energy. Finger millet is adaptable to diverse agro-ecological conditions, has beneficial nutritional properties and outstanding agronomic attributes as a subsistence food crop; therefore, it holds promise for the future of food and nutrition security in Africa and around the world. Despite these desirable attributes, only about 3 million tones are produced globally each year. Common production constraints include low soil fertility, Striga weed infestation, and pest and disease pressure, particularly finger millet blast disease, which can cause up to 50% yield loss. Low rates of finger millet production are compounded by a lack of stable market outlets and inadequate product development strategies. Recent research efforts in Africa and South Asia, however, have the potential of alleviating these production constraints. Opportunities now exist for enhanced technology development, which may increase production, product development, value addition, marketing and consumption of finger millet. Capitalizing on these opportunities could ensure that finger millet, as a “novel” crop, increases food and nutrition security in Africa and around the world. Keywords: Finger millet, technology development, food and nutrition security

New Isotope Evidence for Diachronic and Site-Spatial Variation in Precontact Diet during the Little Ice Age at Nunalleq, Southwest Alaska

The stable isotope analysis of preserved proteinaceous tissues, such as bone collagen and hair keratin, offers a powerful means of examining individual dietary practices in archaeology and, through this, inferring the subsistence behaviours, socio-cultural practices, and food preferences of past populations. Previous isotope research at the precontact Yup’ik village site of Nunalleq, Alaska, has provided evidence of a mixed diet of marine and terrestrial foods (but likely dominated by salmonids), but also highlighted some dietary variability amongst the inhabitants of the site. However, materials from the older rescue excavations were insufficient to infer whether this variability was interpersonal and/or diachronic in nature. Here, new stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human hair are presented. These were obtained during the research excavations at Nunalleq from temporally constrained, well-stratified contexts. The new data reveal dietary change through time at the site, highlighting changes in resource use and subsistence practices during the Little Ice Age. During the middle phase of occupation at the site (Phase III; cal AD 1620–1650), diet is more varied, most likely relating to the differing relative contribution of salmon versus higher trophic level marine mammal protein to the diet of some individuals at the site. Analysis reveals these differences to be site-spatial, possibly indicating differences with the use of space at the site, and/or hinting at possible social differentiation in diet during Phase III. In the final occupation phase (Phase II; cal AD 1640–1660), diet is more homogeneous and demonstrates an increased exploitation of higher-trophic level marine foods.

An Updated Review of Research on Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Sahelian West Africa

In the Sahelian region of West Africa, pearl millet, which is a major subsistence food crop supporting families’ livelihoods, is regularly attacked by the millet head miner/spike worm, Heliocheilus (=Raghuva) albipunctella de Joannis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The pest infestation levels, damage ratings, and yield losses vary within and among countries because of differences in millet cultivars, the planting period, the onset time and seasonal distribution of rains, synchronization of moth flight with head development stages, and pest control practices. Egg laying by moths and the distribution of larval populations are governed by the development stages of millet head and the soil type. Rainfall patterns affect the distribution of diapaused pupae. The implications of this information for future pest control strategies are discussed in this review. Control measures including the planting of pest tolerant/resistant cultivars, the application of chemical pesticides, and the abundance of natural enemies have had significant impacts on larval mortality but have limited application. In recent years, augmentative releases of the larval ectoparasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), have been tested in a pilot project in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Because of the success of the program and the increasing demand for parasitoids farmers cooperatives are being engaged in producing parasitoids for the large-scale distribution of ‘ready-to-use’ bags containing braconids. This would sustain continuous availability and generate profitable businesses. To achieve this goal, farmers’ economic problems and technical challenges need to be resolved at the village level, and marketing avenues need to be established.

Hamelia patens as subsistence food for honeybees during monsoon season in sub-tropical Himalayan region

Hamelia patens is a subsistence minor flora for honeybees during dearth periods. It was observed that honeybees forage upon this shrub available in the vicinity of apiary, with great interest during unavailability of flora. Large scale plantation of Hamelia patens in homes, gardens/orchards may also be carried out so that it can be utilized by honeybees during monsoon season.

Aves y mamíferos silvestres usados por pobladores del Bajo Urubamba, Cusco, Perú

Las aves y mamíferos constituyen la principal fuente de proteína animal para las poblaciones humanas originarias de la selva amazónica. La carne es destinada a la alimentación y otras partes del cuerpo son utilizadas en artesanías, adornos y objetos de uso cotidiano. Considerando el aprovechamiento y uso de la fauna, los objetivos del estudio fueron a) identificar las especies de aves y mamíferos aprovechadas por las poblaciones locales, b) determinar el uso de las aves y mamíferos, y c) calcular el valor económico de la biomasa extraída. Se realizó el registro del aprovechamiento de especies, mediante encuestas y la información recopilada fue sistematizada. Como resultado se encontró que en el Bajo Urubamba se aprovechan 10 especies de aves y 12 de mamíferos. El paujil (Mitu tuberosum) y las perdices (Crypturellus sp. y Tinamus tao) son las aves más aprovechadas. Se identificaron al majáz (Cuniculus paca), venado rojo (Mazama americana) y tapir o sachavaca (Tapirus terrestris) como los mamíferos con mayor biomasa extraída. El principal uso de la diversidad capturada es la alimentación de subsistencia.

The energy requirements and metabolic benefits of wilderness hunting in Alaska.

The purported healthy aspects of subsistence foods have led to the popularity of the Paleo diet. There has been very little focus, surprisingly, on health benefits derived from the nomadic nature of humans during the Paleolithic era. The purpose of our study was to examine total energy expenditure (TEE), total energy intake (TEI), body composition, blood lipids, and intrahepatic lipid in humans during a 12‐day Alaskan backcountry expeditionary hunting (ABEH) immersion. Four healthy men (age: 42 ± 3 year, BMI: 27 ± 1 kg/m2) were recruited for the study. TEE was measured using the doubly labeled water method and a food diary was utilized to assess TEI. Body composition was measured using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA); cross‐sectional area of the thigh (XT) and intrahepatic lipid (IHL) were measured using molecular imaging. Blood samples were collected for the measurement of blood lipids. DXA, XT, IHL, and blood data were collected pre‐ and immediately post‐ABEH. Results were analyzed using paired t‐tests and considered significant at P < 0.05. TEE and TEI averaged 18.1 ± 1.2 and 9.1 ± 2.5 MJ/day, respectively, indicating substantial negative energy balance (‐9.0 ± 1.3 MJ/day). There was a reduction in percent body fat (∆−3.3 ± 0.2%), total fat mass (∆−3.3 ± 0.4 kg), and visceral fat volume (Δ−261 ± 188 cm3). Lean tissue mass and XT was unchanged. There was a decrease in IHL (Δ−0.5 ± 0.1% water peak), and a trend (P = 0.055) toward reduction in LDL‐cholesterol. We conclude that constancy of physical activity during negative energy balance may provide metabolic benefits above and beyond variations in diet that exist with the hunter‐gatherer lifestyle.

Paying It Forward or Giving Back? Women’s Sharing Networks in Siberia

Subsistence food sharing in Ust’-Avam (Taimyr Region, Russian Federation) is analyzed in light of Arctic research on sharing and current debate. Cultural traditions such as food sharing practices a...

Modeling Elk Nutrition and Habitat Use in Western Oregon and Washington

Modeling Elk Nutrition and Habitat Use in Western Oregon and Washington

Tar Sands Operations and Waterborne Exposure and Subsistence Food Supply in Canada

The political divide surrounding the development of the Alberta oil sands has created escalating tensions between political leaders, Canadian citizens and Indigenous communities alike. Indigenous c...

Gender and generational patterns of African deagrarianization: Evolving labour and land allocation in smallholder peasant household farming, 1980–2015

Abstract This article traces smallholder peasant household production and reproduction trends against the background of profound change in African agriculture’s terms of trade between 1980 and 2015. The gender and generational dynamics of African peasant households, which evolved under European colonial policies from the late 19th century and largely persisted in the early post-independence era, were disrupted by the 1970s oil crises. By the 1980s, peasant labor displacement was gaining momentum, as evidenced by declining smallholder commercial agriculture, often but not always accompanied by rural out-migration. Ensuing differentiated involvement of peasant smallholder family members in unfolding processes of deagrarianization and depeasantization are explored on the basis of statistical data and qualitative case studies. The article’s broad spatial focus and 35-year overview are accommodated in a human geography methodology, which synthesizes multi-disciplinary social scientists’ research findings on the gender/age division of labor, allocation of decision-making power and welfare provisioning patterns within smallholder households. Spatial and temporal analysis of sex/age ratios derived from published data on sectoral labour force participation, quantitative surveys of intra-household labour time allocation and national census population data provide insight into the differential effects of deagrarianization on household members. Salient trends are: labor contraction in male commercial peasant family farming, smallholder subsistence-based land cultivation squeezed by medium-scale commercial farmers, female resource control and labor autonomy continuing to be impinged by male patriarchal attitudes, and an emerging tendency for “older women left behind” in the countryside, who provide an agrarian fallback for returned migrant family members and other members engaged in local non-agricultural occupations needing subsistence food support.