The reasons to initiate a study on
'wild-food' plants, with an emphasis on 'famine-food' plants by the United
Nations Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia (UN-EUE) have a largely practical
and pragmatic basis. The initial idea was to document indigenous knowledge
on wild-foods and, more particularly, on 'famine-food', to identify and
understand better the importance of wild-food plants in the survival strategies
adopted by rural people in food insecure areas of the country.
Besides the collection of secondary
data, of which unfortunately very little exists on wild-foods and related
subjects concerning Ethiopia, informal guideline interviews were conducted
with selected key informants. In the field opportunistic free and open
interviews and discussions were held with farmers, herders, children and
women during extended field visits, bush and farm walks that were undertaken
for tracking down specific wild plants. The study team was guided by local
agricultural experts from Woreda agricultural offices who identified knowledgeable
key informants and also acted as translators. When ever possible, background
information was collected on edible wild plants presented herein, vernacular
names of the plants were registered, photographs of the species and on
relevant details of the plant were taken and a sample of the plants edible
components was taken. Parts of 60 different plant specimens were collected,
mounted, labelled and submitted to the National Herbarium at Addis Ababa
University for identification and taxonomic classification of the species
collected.
Konso Special Woreda, Kindo-Koyisha,
Humbo, Damot-Weyde and Kamba Woredas of North Omo Zone and Bako-Gazar and
Hamer-Bena Woredas of South Omo Zone in the Southern Nation, Nationalities,
Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia were selected for the initial field
survey in January 2000. These localities figure among the most chronically
food insecure areas of Ethiopia, periodically facing food shortages due
to their fragile environmental setting. They are located 400 to 700km south
of Addis Ababa. In
addition, following the initial survey, information on wild-food plants has been
collected during subsequent field trips in other areas of Ethiopia such as Afar,
Somali Region, Hararghe and its southern lowland areas towards Somali Region,
North and South Wollo, and Jimma and Illubabor in the Western part of Ethiopia.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian Venture Project1
contributed significantly to the present field guide. Using the same methodology,
approximately 40 additional wild-food plants could be identified and described
in three different areas in northern Ethiopia that are Jana Mora Woreda
(North Gonder Zone), Ziquala Woreda (Wag Hamra Zone), and Ganta Afesum
Woreda (East Tigray Zone).
1 For further information
on the Ethiopian Venture Project, please refer to the following webpage,
where all the necessary information on this project can be found: www.ethiopian-venture.org.uk
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