Wild food plants (WFPs) are often highly nutritious but under-consumed at the same time. This study aimed to document the diversity of WFPs, and assess perceptions, attitudes, and drivers of change in their consumption among Minangkabau and Mandailing women farmers in West Sumatra. We applied a mixed-method approach consisting of interviews with 200 women and focus group discussions with 68 participants. The study documented 106 WFPs (85 species), and Minangkabau were found to steward richer traditional knowledge than Mandailing. Although both communities perceived WFPs positively, consumption has declined over the last generation. The main reasons perceived by respondents were due to the decreased availability of WFPs and changes in lifestyle. The contemporary barriers to consuming WFPs were low availability, time constraints, and a limited knowledge of their nutritional value. The key motivations for their use were that they are free and “unpolluted” natural foods. The main drivers of change were socio-economic factors and changes in agriculture and markets. However, the persistence of a strong culture appears to slow dietary changes. The communities, government and NGOs should work together to optimize the use of this food biodiversity in a sustainable way. This integrated approach could improve nutrition while conserving biological and cultural diversity.

Hidayat S, Zuhud EAM, Widyatmoko D, Bahruni, Batubara I. 2021. The commercial potential of forest trees as medicinal and health ingredients. Biodiversitas 22: 2795-2804. Indonesian forests contain many trees that belong to medicinal plants classified as non-timber forest products (NTFP). Although these plants have been used from generation to generation by several ethnic groups and even some of them have become commercial goods, many species have not received special attention in terms of their cultivation. This study aimed to explore the commercial value of forest trees as medicinal ingredients and obtain a recommended ranking for their cultivation. The method used was market surveys to herbal stores and questionnaires to experts related to medicinal plants. The results showed that there are 59 species of forest trees used as medicinal ingredients and health supplements. Cinnamomum burmanni, Morinda citrifolia, and Moringa oleifera have the most diverse commercial products in drugs and health stores. These three species also have active ingredients that potentially substitute for chemical drugs. Following the advice of medicinal plant experts, these three species are also included in the ten species recommended for immediate cultivation.

Handayani A, Zuhud EAM, Junaedi DI. 2021. Assessing the utilization of naturalized alien plant species by community to inform its management strategy: A case study in Cibodas Biosphere Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2579-2588. Alien plant species can have two side effects, either positively in terms of the utilization of these species to fulfill human needs, or negatively in terms of their invasion which might threaten biodiversity and reduce land productivity. Yet, it is not clear how an introduced plant species can be carefully managed and utilized (so-called Naturalized Alien Plant Species/NAPS) so that the NAPS does not become Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS). Using Cibodas Biosphere Reserves (CBR), West Java, Indonesia as a case study, this study aims to investigate the utilization of Naturalized Alien Plant Species (NAPS) by local communities in the buffer zone of CBR and quantify the utilization of NAPS based on cultural perspective using Index Cultural Significance (ICS) framework. Data were collected by distributing questionnaires and interviewing 90 respondents in three locations around CBR: Bodogol, Cibodas, and Gekbrong. The results showed that the community used 72 Naturalized Alien Plant Species, with 30% of the utilized plants were from Asteraceae family. Centella asiatica was the most widely used species, but the species with the highest Index Cultural Significance value was Artemisia vulgaris. Based on the ICS classification, there were ten species (13.89%) with high significance values, 17 species (23.61%) with moderate significance, 30 species (41.67%) with low significance, and 15 species (20.83%) with very low significance. Species with high significance values were Artemisia vulgaris, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis, Bidens pilosa, Mentha arvensis, Amaranthus spinosus, Centella asiatica, Cyphomandra betacea, Calliandra calothyrsus, Fragaria vesca, and Solanum torvum. Based on these results, the recommended strategy is to regularly harvest the Naturalized Alien Plant Species with high ICS value to control their population and fulfill community needs.

KAMPUNG KONSERVASI KELOR: UPAYA MENDUKUNG GERAKAN NASIONAL SADAR GIZI DAN MENGATASI MALNUTRISI DI INDONESIA

Many studies on rice landrace (Oryza sativa sbsp. indica) have been conducted by biodiversity, ethnobotany, and agroecology disciplines. The importance of rice landraces as genetic resources and the basics of human civilizations. Conservation landraces in Tumbang Datu and Pongbembe nowadays are affected by the following socio-cultural constraints: a) decline numbers of local varieties after the regional government-imposed funding to local communities to substitute new-high yield varieties, b) rice rites and landrace conservation are on the brink of extinction. This research explores daily behaviors that contribute to rice landrace conservations through the sociological approach of collective memory and symbolic interaction. Today’s generations use new meanings and symbols of rice derived from collective memories and virtues. Various interviewees practice mnemonic devices (what, why, who, where, when, and how) that reflect foodways. According to Blumer, social structures are networks of interdependence among actors that place conditions on their actions. In these networks, people act and produce symbols and meanings of rice to interpret their situations and to have their own set in a localized process of social interpretation. Moreover, the Toraja language is used as a bridge in communicating the past, present, and future to strengthening collective identity. This research uses a qualitative method to explore rice landrace conservation using open-ended questions, in-depth interviews, and Focus Group Discussions. A free-listing method was followed to gather interviewees’ collective memories of rice landraces. Findings show that a combination of methods, tradition-based conservation, and current scientific-technology-based conservation become a practice for promoting, educating, and stimulating the public and researchers to engage in landraces conservation. These findings suggest that the socio-cultural ecosystem and Blumer’s social network support new networks to deliver science in agricultural innovation policy. The results showed that collective memories and foodways create ways that would benefit rice landrace conservation the most.