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Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Current Scenario of Wild Edible Plants (WEPs), their Importance, Possible Threats, and Conservation: A Mini Review

Rupali Shirsat, Tripty Jagtap, Ashwini Sirsat, Shubham Rathod, Dipak Koche

Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International · pp. 18–27 · Published 24 May 2023

10.9734/jaeri/2023/v24i5538

Abstract

The knowledge of Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) is as old as human civilization and still, they are playing a supplementary role in global food security. WEPs are an integral part of their traditional food systems and have nutritional and cultural values in their routine livelihood. WEPs are increasingly considered a potential source of a naturally healthy diet. But in many cases, the available WEPs resources are under threat of various kinds like overexploitation, overgrazing, forest fires, agricultural encroachment, etc.; the changing climate also negatively impacts on WEPs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the conservation of the diversity of WEPs and their sustainable management. The present mini-review is an attempt to present the current scenario of WEPs, their importance, and a potential source of nutrients for future food security, ethnic knowledge associated with them, threats encountered by WEPs, and their possible sustainable management scheme.

Traditional food system food security sustainable management ethnic knowledge

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