Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Selected Wild Food Plants in Türkiye and Their Promotion for Improved Nutrition

Abstract

Türkiye represents one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, containing over 11,000 species of plants, with an estimated 10% being edible. Wild food plants, especially in rural areas, are collected and eaten or sold in local markets, complementing people’s diets, and represent a source of additional income for foraging households. Yet, the use of wild food plants is declining, with both their dietary and cultural values being undermined. Wild food plants can be used as a healthy dietary alternative to imported and ultra-processed foods, particularly as the Turkish population increasingly suffers from diet-related diseases. Using a unique and innovative approach to mainstream biodiversity for food and nutrition, wild food plants from five different regions of Türkiye were analyzed to determine their nutrient composition, and to evaluate their contribution not only to diets and nutrition, but to promoting a more sustainable food system. Examples are presented of how the approach was put into practice and how action was taken to (i) strengthen the evidence of the nutritional value of wild food plants; (ii) use this knowledge to shape new policies and identify emerging markets for food biodiversity; and, (iii) improve awareness of consumers, using capacity building and farmer training, gastronomy, and cultural events.

Food insecurity indicators of 14 OECD countries in a health economics aspect: A comparative analysis

“…We can interpret these results obtained with different dimensions as being related to our macro-level comparison analysis. In their study, Borelli et al ( 48 ) mentioned that Turkey’s risk of food insecurity, which is also influenced by housing, has been increasing in recent years. In a 2017 study in Turkey, Ipek ( 49 ) found that an increase in income level, education level, and healthcare expenditures significantly reduced food insecurity.…”

Exploring wild, underutilized, and neglected edible plants in West Java, Indonesia: Ethnobotanical assessment, use trends, and potential for improved nutrition

“…However, in the speci c context of Sundanese communities, lalap encompasses both wild/non-cultivated and semi-domesticated edible plants. Numerous studies underscore the high nutritional value of wild edible plants [9,35,[37][38][39], as evidenced by different documented groups of WUNEPs (Table 1). The nutritional composition of the selected WUNEPs is examined, along with their potential contribution to the RDA of certain nutrients.…”

“…The nutritional signi cance of the documented WUNEPs is apparent, as many of them provide essential nutrients and have a higher nutritional value compared to common vegetables [35,37,127]. Therefore, promoting the inclusion of these plants in diets could improve the nutritional status of not only indigenous and rural populations [13,128,129] but also the rest of the population [5].…”

Exploring wild edible plants in West Java, Indonesia: Ethnobotanical assessment, use trends, and potential for improved nutrition

“…Previous Indonesian studies also revealed that Sundanese communities residing in the Eastern Priangan areas and indigenous communities of Mentawai still highly value and prefer their traditional foods, thus sustaining the use of WEPs [22,24]. The potential nutritional and dietary contribution of documented WEPs Numerous studies underscore the high nutritional value of wild plants [8, 43,47,62,74], as evidenced by different documented groups of WEPs (Table 1). Their potential contribution to the RDA demonstrates that some of them can serve as a 'source' (RDA > 15%) or contain 'high level' (RDA > 30%) of certain nutrients (Table 3).…”