Wild foods and food security

Presentation by: Melanie ZurbaFor the class: Sustainable Livelihoods, Food Resources and Community Food Security

Focus of this presentation

1) The Reading

3) Questions for discussion

2) Local example: Wild Rice

4) Resources

The ReadingThe Roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems

by: Zareen Bhavdha and Jules Pretty

Debunks the myths surrounding wild foods:• Eating wild food is not an early evolutionary stage

in human history.• Relationships that can exist between wild food

and agriculturalism

The importance of wild foods:• Nutritional importance: quantity (world food

stocks) & quality (micro-nutrients)• Cultural importance & maintenance of a

connection to and knowledge of the environment

The ReadingThe drivers of change:

a) climate changeb) land use change & degradationc) unsustainable harvestingd) deepening poverty, HIV/AIDS and conflicte) loss of local ecological knowledgef) socio-economic change and the expansion of

markets

Provides a good overview of the main issues

Main critique: Not much discussion of what role wild food plays in ‘Western society’

Local example – Wild Rice

auri.org

101cookbooks.com

Wild Rice Act - C.C.S.M. c. W140

• Only treaty First Nations are permitted to harvest wild rice for domestic purposes• No one is permitted to seed wild rice on

crown land• Cannot buy wild rice for resale without

permit and conditions from the vendor• Further restrictions apply

Reference:Government of Manitoba. 2010. Wild Rice Act C.C.S.W. c. W140. http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/w140e.php

Questions for consideration

1) When making policy for wild foods how should we weight the considerations for:

a) food scarcity and access i.e quantitative: availability,

population to sustain

b) human rights and access?

i.e. quantitative and qualitative: including cultural

and connection to place considerations

Questions for consideration2) What do we think about the seeming socio-economic disparity in the use of wild foods?

Poor Rich

Need to useor

Can’t afford to use

Novel to useWhat exists here?

Place-based/economy dependent

Initiatives Handout & Red Gold Trailer1) Handout: wild food initiates

2) Documentary trailer: Red GoldFilm provides good examples of themes raised in the reading

• Sustainable livelihoods and wild foods• Cultural significance and

connection to place• Social equality• Ecological Knowledge• Resilience and vulnerability