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Institutional factors affecting wild edible plant (WEP) harvest and consumption in semi-arid Kenya

Bibliographic Data

ID11467215
AuthorsStephanie Shumsky (McGill University, corresponding author), Gordon M Hickey (0000-0001-8169-5390, McGill University), T Johns (0000-0001-5942-5685, McGill University), Bernard Pelletier (0000-0002-2912-0706, McGill University), J G Galaty (0000-0002-4150-8092, McGill University), John Galaty
Year2014
Volume38
Pages48-69
Publication date2014-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Use Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0264-8377 • E-ISSN: 1873-5754
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.landusepol.2013.10.014
OpenAlexW1989915789
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited106

Pervasive food insecurity and poverty in much of the world drives vulnerable populations to harvest natural resources as a means of generating income and meeting other household needs. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are a particularly common and effective coping strategy used to increase socio-ecological resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa where agricultural systems are often sensitive to environmental perturbations and instability. WEPs are collected across the landscape, from agricultural areas to government-managed hilltops with varying degrees of success and legality. This multiple case study research, conducted in Eastern Province, Kenya, investigates the formal forest regulations and land tenure rights, as well as local enforcement and understanding of those rules, in order to understand their impact on the ability of vulnerable populations to use WEPs as a coping strategy. The results suggest that widespread confusion, trust issues and a strong focus on the commercialization of wild foods are limiting the possible contribution of WEPs to food security and increased socio-ecological resilience. We identify a number of policy changes and extension programs that could better support local communities relying on WEPs for subsistence purposes to improve their adaptive capacity

Agriculture · Biology · Business · Commercialization · Economics · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Food security · Geography · Land use · Natural resource economics · Socioeconomics · Subsistence agriculture · Sustainability · African Botany and Ecology Studies · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · Ecology

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Unique citing works13
Citations per year1,08
Citation span2014 - 2026 (13)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 11
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