The Use of Wild Plants as Food in Three Adjoining Villages in Southern Burkina Faso

Abstract

Food diversity is essential for human beings. In many small areas of sub-Saharan Africa there is no information on the use of wild plants as food. This paper aims at understanding to what extent the wild plants are used by rural people in Southern Burkina Faso villages and how they are used. Wild food plants are basis to improve local agro-biodiversity and food security. In this work an ethnobotanical survey was carried out in three adjoining villages’of southern Burkina Faso. One hundred and fifty informants (equal number of women and men) were interviewed in three villages about wild food plants and their use. The results showed that fifty eight (58) plant species are used in the wild as food. Eighty six percent (86%) of them were used frequently and 14% were used in time of famine. The utilization of wild plants for food is a part of the cultural values of the local population. They make 13 categories of food with plants. Leaves (40%) and fruits (37%) contributed mostly to food preparation than other parts of the plants. These organs were used to make a diversity of foods. Almost all (75%) the food was culinary foods. Sauces and leaves stew are the most dominant ones. The majority (97%) of the villager use water of well to cook culinary food. The inhabitants used several strategies to process plants parts to obtain food. The species which were mostly used for food preparation are Adansonia digitata L., Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth., Ceiba pentandra L., Balanites aegyptiaca L., Vitex doniana Sw. and Stylochyton hypogaeus Lepr.. The foods which come from these species have good nutritive values and could be used in large scale to solve malnutrition and alimentary diseases. These species should require most attention in natural resource management in Burkina Faso.