STATE OF THE RAINFOREST 2014
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Tropical forests provide an astounding variety and amount of
food, and play a highly significant role as a source of food for
some of the world’s poorest people. Nutrient-rich forest foods
also often form a critical supplement to otherwise poor diets.
Wild leaves, fresh or dried, are often used in soups, stews and
relishes which accompany carbohydrate staples (such as rice
or maize), adding flavour and nutrition. Leaves are a source of
vitamins A and C, protein and micronutrients like calcium and
iron, often deficient in diets of vulnerable communities. The
protein content of baobab leaves, for instance, is around 14%.
Thousands of species of wild fruits are consumed worldwide.
They represent a good source of minerals and vitamins, and may
contribute significant quantities of calories. Seeds and nuts add
calories, oil and protein to diets. Fats and oils are expensive for
poor households to buy, and especially children need energy-
dense food sources like nuts and seeds as they are important for
the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.
Food from the forest
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Many forest plants have edible roots and tubers that provide
carbohydrates and some minerals. In addition, roots and
tubers are often central ingredients in traditional medicines.
Mushrooms, gathered wild from forests and woodlands, are
added to sauces and relishes for flavouring and are generally
a good source for vitamin B, calcium and potassium. As several
species contain proteins, they sometimes provide a substitute
for meat. Indigenous peoples living in the rainforest have
elaborate techniques for collecting honey from wild colonies.
Honey is not only an attractive sweetener: it is also an important
ingredient in many traditional medicines.
Wild animals and fish often form an important part of the diet
of people living in or close to forests; for some people they
are the only source of animal protein. In at least 62 countries
worldwide, wildlife and fish provide at least 20% of the animal
protein in rural diets. There is great regional variation in wild
meat consumption.
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income from natural forests and other natural areas accounted for
28 percent of total household income, nearly as much as crops.
Also people living at a distance from forests are highly dependent
on resources from the forest: 2.4 billion people use woodfuel for
cooking, and 1.3 billion people live in homes where forest products
are the main building materials.
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The TEEB review estimated that ecosystem services and other
non-market goods account for between 47% and 89% of the ‘GDP
of the Poor’.
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‘GDP of the poor’ is an attempt to measure and
demonstrate the value of the goods and services that millions of
poor people receive from nature, but which are not monetized, and
thus not captured when standard GDP is measured. Sustainable
management of natural resources – or natural capital – is a key
to poverty reduction for a large part of the world’s poor – as also
reflected in the Millennium Development Goals, and discussions of
new global sustainable development goals post-2015.
Increasing food production, maintaining forests
According to the FAO, 925 million people worldwide suffer from
food insecurity.
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Meeting future global demand for food without
increasing the pressure forests and other ecosystems will
require new approaches where natural systems and agriculture
are integrated or mutually enforcing. Climate change is likely to
complicate matters further by a ecting crop yields in many areas.
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Increased production per hectare and agricultural expansion into
fallow areas and degraded lands will be important. Some forms
of productivity increase are easy to envision: Put two heads
of cattle instead of one per hectare of pasture in the Amazon.
Methods for increasing productivity and product diversity of
smallholder agriculture in the tropics through agroforestry
techniques are also well tested. Increased productivity is also
at the heart of the big actors in agribusiness, but based on
intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. There are limits to how
much production can be intensified, and how much forest can be
cleared, before the effects on water, soil and climate warming
threaten food production.
There is no single solution to the challenges of food security, and
the distribution and consumption side of the issue will be just as
important at the production side. How we deal with issues like
global distribution of food, and the approximately one third of
food produced that is lost or wasted, will have major impacts.
Smarter food production, with greater emphasis on the effects on
the ecosystems that supports agriculture, will play a significant
role. Trees on farms and food from the forest will be part of this
smarter food production – and smarter eating, where more nuts,
roots, leaves and even insects may feature on the menu.
