Wild Edibles and Sustainable Development Goals

The edited book follows a systematic and situation-sensitive approach for discussing the socio-ecological, economic, cultural, and traditional perspectives of using and promoting wild edibles. This can help in building social-ecological resilience by addressing nutritional, climate and conservation challenges in the Anthropocene. Chapters significantly emphasize on the history, theory, future, and innovations as the main pillars of endorsing wild edibles for localizing various UN SDGs, and other relevant international promises related to climate, conservation of biodiversity and restoration of degraded landscapes. A special focus has been set on advances and opportunities for wild edibles, challenges related to sustainable harvesting concerns, and constraints of market places, accessibility, domestication. This is followed by case studies presenting the part of wild edibles in addressing food sovereignty, promoting socio-ecological resilience and sense of belongingness among locals.

Chapters cover the latest evidence-based approach in diagnosis and management of ecosystems from Africa, Europe, North and South America, South Caucasus region of Eurasia, North, South and Southeast Asia. Case studies help to understand implications and concerns of promoting wild edibles as future food in a fast-expanding and climate vulnerable world. Chapters cover present-day issues and challenges dealing with food security and sovereignty, sustainability and environmental change. They incite at taking the knowledge and practices of IPLCs as models. They also attempt to strengthen and enrich the knowledge base on diverse related complex issues related to wild edibles by integrating the values and importance of biodiversity, threatened species and ecosystems, and emerging drivers of biodiversity loss.

The volume highlights how harvesting and consuming wild edibles enhance nutritional security, health benefits, climate resilience, improve economic opportunities and trade-offs for long-term sustainability. The volume shows as well that supporting future food species would influence the ecosystem and biodiversity-inclusive SDG localization, and also reduce land degradation due to agriculture intensification. The emerging roles of integrative socio-ecological as well as techno-cultural factors in promoting and including wild species as nutritional support are key features of this book.