If the picture in left seems something
new to anyone, I shall be amazed! This 10 years old Tania in the picture was
harvesting plants containing hundreds of ripped yellow berries of Solanum villosum (locally “Pitt Begun”
in Bengali) from the field
along with her sister, taken from a village in Savar sub-district of
Dhaka. It is very
common and usual practice in rural population of Bangladesh as I have
seen this one and they take such varieties of wild grown plants into
their
regular food consumption. Men and women in rural homes collect plants
from the
open fields, roadsides, river banks and crop lands which they commonly
cook and also can
sell into the local market. While the difference with the youngers is
they simply
harvest the edible parts and eat at once throughout their play grounds.
In both
ways, these unnoticed plant species are providing supplementary
nutrition to in
the family. This shared short documentary below on wild edible plants easily exemplified their importance in rural community where regular food items scared in seasonally. The video was supported by TVeBiomovies and selected for UN annual closing ceremony in 2010 for the declaration on Year of Biodiversity:
We
always have less attention to these wild edibles on nutritional perspectives!
Bathua, a weed which has high minerals.
The
wild edibles are holding an important part in meal for every rural community in
Bangladesh and the age of such indigenous knowledge might be of thousand years.
This is human nature to gather plants from their surroundings and eat them by
simple cooking with water, salt and chili. Then it becomes a way for trimming
down their monthly expenditure during crisis of money or food and as well as
sometimes used for improving test of meal, health care and culture. The food
they eat, without any knowledge about their nutritional values in their mind. For
instance, Chenopodium album (‘Bathua’ in Bengali) is a common weedy
plant grown in the cultivatable lands which is a favorite leafy vegetable to
the village people during winter. In comparison to other winter vegetable in
the country, its protein content is twice than in cabbage, and 1.5 times higher
than spinach and lettuce and moreover, several folds higher in calcium and
magnesium content and rich in vitamins too.
Leucas aspera, in Bengali Dondo kolosh, has white flowers, that have interest by children to collect and eating honey from it.
Hibiscus sabdariffa L. var. sabdariffa, Chukur in Bengali is rich in iron, calcium, vitamin C and fiber content.
The dependence on these plants is
enormous to the poorer sections of the village communities who are suffering from
malnutrition. Few other examples are also
usually seen in the village markets in Bangladesh e.g. Amaranthus sessilis (‘Shanti
shak’ in Bengali), Amaranthus viridis
(‘Khai khuria’ in Bengali), Diplazium
esculentum (‘Dekhi shak’ in
Bengali), Enydra fluctuans (‘Henchi shak’ in Bengali), Moringa olifera (‘Sazna’ in Bengali). These wild vegetables also have preference in
dishes of urban areas by the low income level people. The list of such edibles
is larger than I said but these people are always less aware of their
nutritional benefits whether these are already known to the scientific
communities and policy makers. It is already scientifically reported that the leaves and immature fruit of Sazna is highly nutritious and potent medicinal values. Likely, Roshun shak strengthen you immune system and helps fight against diseases, inflorescence of banana is common for people and rich in minerals, Khai khuria is rich in protein, vitamins and contain anti-oxident that purify toxic compounds from our blood.
Kolmi shak (Ipomoea sp.) is a common wild grown plant in marshy area.
Kochu (Colocasia sp.) is the most common for its leaf, leaf talk and corm in every region.
Nakful/Roshun shak (Spilanthes paniculata), leaves and young shoots are common wild vegetable.
In some cases, scientific studies found toxic and anti-nutritive
compounds from wild edibles like, Oxalis corniculata
(‘Amrul’ in Bengali) and Amaranthus spinosus (‘Kata khuria’ in Bengali) can cause
renal failure. Where as, leaves of these two species are widely consumed by the
rural people in many countries.
In
perspective of income generation, several non-cultivated vegetables have always
demand in local markets with good price. Thus in few regions, these plants turn out money for
jobless or workless families in rural areas and forest communities. They just
have very little or less knowledge about harvesting of plant materials from the
nature which in sometimes causes threats to extinction!
Atia kola (Musa sapientum var. sylvestris).The inflorescence is rich in minerals.
In
fact, this edible source is the least prioritized branch in most of the
underdeveloped countries during policy making of nutritional programs and
agricultural initiatives. In my point of view, four steps can easily contribute
in eradicating malnutrition, increase crop diversity and as well as an
effective local action for agriculture. First, seeking local and indigenous
knowledge of non-conventional, wild and semi-wild, non-cultivated, edible
plants; second, studying their nutritional values and health impacts; third,
creating local awareness on wild edibles and their nutritional potentiality,
especially in schools and youths; and finally, policy changes in developing
agricultural practice for domestication of these crops which can improve the crop
diversity in the country and add nutritional values to the people. In addition,
these wild plants are reported to have tolerance to drought and diseases which
means they have prospect to fight against climate change crisis.
Development
of new domesticated vegetables can be an example for other countries to deal the
global food and nutritional security in the forthcoming days of global climate
change.
