Contribution of wild and semi-wild food plants to overall household diet in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda

Abstract

The contribution of Wild and Semi-wild Food Plants (WSWFPs) to overall household diet was assessed in Mutunda and Kiryandongo, sub-counties of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda. The assessments were made using a combination of methods namely: household using semi-structured questionnaires and Focus Group Discussion (FGDs). A total of 385 households from the two sub-counties were selected for household survey following the method described by Krejcie and Morgan. Each informant was asked to list, the preferred WSWFPs consumed in the area and to estimate the amount harvested by members of his or her household in the previous 12 months period. In addition, they were asked to report whether or not WSWFPs were used by members of the household during the previous 12 months period. They were also asked to respond whether or not the WSWFPs was given away and or received by members of the household during the previous 12 months period. In addition, they were asked to estimate how long in a year their household members depend on WSWFPs. FGDs were held to construct seasonal calendar of availability of different WSWFPs consumed in the area. Contribution of WSWFPs to household diet was computed using two generic types of measures-mean per capita harvest and mean per capita use (consumption). The durations upon which households depend on WSWFPs was computed and presented in a chat. About 62 WSWFPs belonging to 31 botanical families were responded as commonly being consumed in the study area. Their consumption comprised a major part (7-9 months) of the dietary intake of the poor households. Many are almost available throughout the year for gathering with exception of a few species that are gathered mainly in the rainy or dry season. Mean per capita harvests varied substantially by species as high as 31 59 g day-1in Amaranthus dubius to about 0.04 g day-1 as in Lantana camara. Like mean per capita harvest mean per capita consumption also varied from one species to another. Mean per capita consumption of some the WSWFPs such as Hyptis spicigera (107.02 g day-1) and Borassus aethiopum (91.82 g day-1) were higher than the reported vegetable and fruit per capita consumption of 79.45 g day-1 in sub-Saharan Africa although, much although much lower than the world average of 205.48 g consumed per person per day. There is a need for policy-makers and technocrats both at the local (counties, sub-counties, parishes, villages) and national levels ( e g , Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries) to create policies by-laws or any other avenues for mainstreaming, the management of some of the WSWFPs with high per capita harvest and per capita consumption rates into the existing, the fanning systems and or any the programs (e.g., Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture) aimed at addressing household poverty and food insecurity. While wild foods cannot entirely bridge, the existing supply and demand gaps of poor household food requirements without them, the gaps would be much wider.