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Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems
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Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2024) | Viewed by 9609

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael A. Long

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, Oklahoma State University, 431 Murray, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: food insecurity; environmental sociology; green criminology; quantitative methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Michael S. Carolan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean for Research, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Interests: food security; food consumption; behavioral change; sustainable agriculture; local and regional food systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we would like to highlight research on the role of wild foods (i.e., edible plants that grow without human cultivation and/or animals harvested from their natural habit, or more simply, food sourced from “hunting and gathering”) in helping to foster healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food systems. Food insecurity, the condition in which individuals and households lack regular access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, is on the rise across the world due to myriad factors including increasing income inequality within and between nations, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to name just a few. The global food system, which is primarily organized along neoliberal capitalist lines, has created a well-documented, export-oriented agribusiness model wherein food is primarily produced for its exchange value (i.e., as a commodity to be sold for money) rather than its use value, i.e., to feed and nourish the individuals (and their local communities) who produce it. Local food insecurity often results from this export-oriented model as agricultural products which were grown to feed the local population in the past have given way to specialty crop production (e.g., coffee, tea, etc.).  This model is linked to increasing local food  insecurity as communities move away from the production of so-called traditional food crops. Alternative food movements have arisen around the world to challenge this process and build more equitable and sustainable local food systems. While there is an already-substantial and still-growing literature of alternative food systems, one area remains understudied, namely, the role that wild foods play in food systems that afford resilience, equity, and sustainability at the individual, household, and community levels. We welcome papers on any aspect of the role of wild food in crafting a re-envisioning of future food systems, from any region of the world.

Dr. Michael A. Long
Prof. Dr. Michael S. Carolan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wild food
  • hunting
  • gathering
  • local food
  • sustainability
  • food insecurity

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 245 KiB  
Article
Wild Food Foraging in Oklahoma: A Pathway to Creating Imagined Foodways and Foodscapes
by Olivia M. Fleming and Tamara L. Mix
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4175; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104175 - 16 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Foraging, the gathering of wild edibles for food and medicinal use, opens opportunities to connect with local environments and pursue sustainability and food sovereignty. We engage with insights from semi-structured qualitative interviews, participant observation, and site visits with individuals identifying as foragers and [...] Read more.
Foraging, the gathering of wild edibles for food and medicinal use, opens opportunities to connect with local environments and pursue sustainability and food sovereignty. We engage with insights from semi-structured qualitative interviews, participant observation, and site visits with individuals identifying as foragers and wildcrafters across Oklahoma to better understand foragers’ interactions with local wild food and foodscapes. We ask: Why do individuals in Oklahoma forage and/or wildcraft? How do foraging practices provide a pathway to support the creation of imagined foodways and foodscapes? We review the literature on foraging and foodways to situate foraging within alternative food systems and consider dimensions of sustainability and sovereignty within foodscapes. Foragers and wildcrafters reveal that their practices foster both tangible and non-tangible benefits, including deep connections with place and nature in the process of procuring wild edibles. While participants come to foraging in various ways, their strategies include engagement with sustainable practices and greater control and agency in food access. Building on the concept of ‘imagined foodways,’ we introduce ‘imagined foodscapes’ to illustrate foragers’ ability to create food practices and spaces based on their ideal methods of procuring and connecting with food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
30 pages, 4794 KiB  
Article
Gathering and Cooking Seaweeds in Contemporary Ireland: Beyond Plant Foraging and Trendy Gastronomies
by Dauro M. Zocchi, Giulia Mattalia, Jeovana Santos Nascimento, Ryan Marley Grant, Jack Edwin Martin, Regina Sexton, Chiara Romano and Andrea Pieroni
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3337; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083337 - 16 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2006
Abstract
Seaweed has historically been essential for coastal communities worldwide. Following a period of decline in the last century, Ireland has seen a recent resurgence in the appreciation and use of seaweed. This research explores the evolution in seaweed foraging practices, with a specific [...] Read more.
Seaweed has historically been essential for coastal communities worldwide. Following a period of decline in the last century, Ireland has seen a recent resurgence in the appreciation and use of seaweed. This research explores the evolution in seaweed foraging practices, with a specific focus on gastronomical uses in two Irish regions: the southwest and the west and midwest. It examines the diversity of seaweed and its present and past uses, comparing abandonment, continuation and revitalisation trajectories. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 27 individuals who forage seaweed for commercial or personal use. We identified 22 seaweed species across the study areas, predominantly from the Fucaceae, Laminariaceae and Ulvaceae families. There was a fair divergence between the seaweed species used in the two study areas (16 seaweed species in the southwest region and 17 seaweed species in the west and midwest region), with 11 species mentioned in both areas. Different trajectories of resurgence were identified. In the west and midwest region, the revitalisation of local ecological and gastronomic knowledge related to seaweeds seems to be deeply entrenched in the territory’s historical legacy, showing a sort of continuation with the past and having followed a more commercially oriented path. Conversely, in the southwest region, the revival seems to be fostered by new knowledge holders with a contemporary interest in reconnecting with the marine landscape and promoting educational activities centred around seaweed. This research contributes to discussions on sustainable food systems and food heritage promotion, emphasising seaweed’s potential role in Irish coastal communities’ foodscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
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21 pages, 1967 KiB  
Article
“We Don’t Need to Worry Because We Will Find Food Tomorrow”: Local Knowledge and Drivers of Mangroves as a Food System through a Gendered Lens in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
by Lucinda Middleton, Puji Astuti, Benjamin M. Brown, Julie Brimblecombe and Natasha Stacey
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3229; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083229 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1976
Abstract
Indonesia is home to the greatest area of mangroves globally, which provide an essential source of livelihoods and food for millions of people. Despite this, there is a gap in the empirical evidence on the role mangroves play as a food system and [...] Read more.
Indonesia is home to the greatest area of mangroves globally, which provide an essential source of livelihoods and food for millions of people. Despite this, there is a gap in the empirical evidence on the role mangroves play as a food system and the diversity of species they provide. This study aimed to examine mangroves as a gendered food system through the knowledge of community mangrove resource users in West Kalimantan. The research applied a case study approach, using gendered focus group discussions and a participatory seasonal food mapping method in two villages. The research identified participants’ extensive local knowledge of 276 species across 12 food groups sourced seasonally from mangroves primarily for food and as a source of income. Barriers to utilizing mangroves for women were influenced by socio-cultural norms, including but not limited to gender roles and access to fishing infrastructure, while men alone faced political and institutional challenges to mangrove utilisation. This study found that mangroves are an important local food system in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, and argues for greater consideration of the contribution mangroves make to local food and nutrition security. This study contributes to a growing global discourse of gendered food systems and inclusion of local knowledges in natural resource management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
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21 pages, 1150 KiB  
Article
The Role in the Human Diet of Bioaccumulation of Selenium, Copper, Zinc, Manganese and Iron in Edible Mushrooms in Various Habitat Conditions of NW Poland—A Case Study
by Zofia Sotek, Małgorzata Stasińska, Ryszard Malinowski, Bogumiła Pilarczyk, Renata Pilarczyk, Małgorzata Bąkowska, Katarzyna Malinowska, Patrycja Radke, Marcin Kubus, Alicja Malinowska and Aleksandra Bukowska
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13334; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813334 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1184
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the contents of microelements in Boletus edulis, Imleria badia and Leccinum scabrum, taking into account the soil conditions in selected forest areas of Northwest Poland and the bioaccumulation capacity of these fungi and [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to determine the contents of microelements in Boletus edulis, Imleria badia and Leccinum scabrum, taking into account the soil conditions in selected forest areas of Northwest Poland and the bioaccumulation capacity of these fungi and their role in the human diet. Se, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe contents were determined in the soil (organic and mineral layers) and mushrooms. The study showed that the soils on which fruiting bodies grew did not differ significantly in the contents of these trace elements. The concentrations of microelements in mushrooms in NW Poland were mostly at the lower range of the contents reported for these species in other regions of Poland and Europe. The uptake of microelements by the studied mushrooms was influenced by soil reaction, organic matter content, and bioavailable and total forms of the elements. B. edulis contained significantly more Se than other mushroom species and, together with I. badia, was much more abundant in Cu and Zn than L. scabrum. Fruiting bodies bioaccumulated Se (most strongly by B. edulis; BCF = 120.6), Cu and Zn. The contents of microelements in the tested mushrooms may be supplementary elements in the human diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
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Review

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12 pages, 592 KiB  
Review
The Role of Wild Food in Fostering Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Systems
by Madison M. Scott, Michael S. Carolan and Michael A. Long
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9556; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219556 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 844
Abstract
In this paper, we provide an overview of the research and literature on wild foods (i.e., edible plants that grow without human cultivation and/or animals harvested from their natural habit, i.e., food sourced from “hunting and gathering”) and their ability to assist food [...] Read more.
In this paper, we provide an overview of the research and literature on wild foods (i.e., edible plants that grow without human cultivation and/or animals harvested from their natural habit, i.e., food sourced from “hunting and gathering”) and their ability to assist food systems in becoming more sustainable and equitable. We begin with a discussion on the green revolution and the global capitalist food system that has been created and is dominated by large agribusinesses. Next, we turn to a brief discussion of how homogenizing the food system, as large agribusinesses have, leads to a corresponding loss of local culture. We then provide an overview of the main areas of wild food research, including nutrition, reducing food insecurity, the importance of cultural and shared knowledge, and sustainability. Our discussion stresses how focusing too heavily on the dichotomy of cultivated vs. wild food is problematic. Rather, lessons regarding health, sustainability, and equity can be learned from foragers, hunters and gathers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
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14 pages, 1356 KiB  
Review
Greater Attention to Wild Foods and Cultural Knowledge Supports Increased Nutrition Outcomes Associated with Agroecology
by Stephanie J. Zhu, Tiza Ignatius Mfuni and Bronwen Powell
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 3890; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103890 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1438
Abstract
Agroecology frameworks do not explicitly include nutrition, but nutrition is an outcome of many principles of agroecology, with growing evidence that agroecological interventions improve diet quality and nutrition. In this paper, we argue that more explicit attention to the importance of wild foods [...] Read more.
Agroecology frameworks do not explicitly include nutrition, but nutrition is an outcome of many principles of agroecology, with growing evidence that agroecological interventions improve diet quality and nutrition. In this paper, we argue that more explicit attention to the importance of wild foods from diverse agroecological landscapes will further enhance the nutrition outcomes associated with agroecology. In rural landscapes around the world, wild foods provide nutrient-dense and culturally important foods that make significant contributions to the diet in some contexts and are culturally important and highly valued delicacies in others. Agroecological principles, science, and practice already support the maintenance of wild foods in food systems by highlighting ecological principles. These include low or no use of pesticides, landscape diversity, and maintenance of biodiversity, alongside social principles such as traditional knowledge and cultural practices. The focus in agroecology on working with traditional knowledge and cultural practices supports the preservation of traditional knowledge required to responsibly harvest and prepare wild foods. Centering landscape diversity and nutrition as outcomes of agroecology supports the continued use of wild foods and cultural knowledge, especially in rural communities around the globe. More explicit attention to wild foods in agroecological systems will further contribute to associated nutrition outcomes, while simultaneously promoting the maintenance of landscape diversity, biodiversity, preservation of cultural knowledge, and other ecological sound and socially just agricultural practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Food for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Local Food Systems)
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