Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia
Herbicides are on the rise across the developing world. Herbicides may come with several advantages but can also undermine environmental and human health. In the quest to assess the trade-offs of herbicides one aspect has received limited attention: the role of edible weeds, which can be key element...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2022.2065949 |
| _version_ | 1827813297835999232 |
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| author | Thomas Daum Alysha Vehre Carolin Schweizerhof Christoph Schunko |
| author_facet | Thomas Daum Alysha Vehre Carolin Schweizerhof Christoph Schunko |
| author_sort | Thomas Daum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herbicides are on the rise across the developing world. Herbicides may come with several advantages but can also undermine environmental and human health. In the quest to assess the trade-offs of herbicides one aspect has received limited attention: the role of edible weeds, which can be key elements of rural food baskets, yet are targeted by herbicides. Using a survey with 158 households and a range of qualitative methods, this study examines the role of edible weeds for rural diets in Zambia and how herbicides affect the consumption of edible weeds. The results suggest that edible weeds are an integral part of rural diets, i.e. during the ‘hunger months’. While the herbicide revolution poses risks to the availability of edible weeds, herbicide use did not (yet) affect their consumption, likely because still few households use herbicides and only fractions of the farmland are sprayed. Long-term herbicide users are, however less likely to consume edible weeds. Given the potential trade-offs between herbicides, edible weeds, and food and nutrition security, this topic should continue to be monitored and policymakers should pay more attention to such trade-offs when promoting herbicides. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:30:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33485713a6ca4a888b253b55019072cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1473-5903 1747-762X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:30:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-33485713a6ca4a888b253b55019072cd2023-09-20T10:18:00ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Agricultural Sustainability1473-59031747-762X2022-11-012061166118010.1080/14735903.2022.20659492065949Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from ZambiaThomas Daum0Alysha Vehre1Carolin Schweizerhof2Christoph Schunko3University of HohenheimUniversity of HohenheimUniversity of HohenheimUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesHerbicides are on the rise across the developing world. Herbicides may come with several advantages but can also undermine environmental and human health. In the quest to assess the trade-offs of herbicides one aspect has received limited attention: the role of edible weeds, which can be key elements of rural food baskets, yet are targeted by herbicides. Using a survey with 158 households and a range of qualitative methods, this study examines the role of edible weeds for rural diets in Zambia and how herbicides affect the consumption of edible weeds. The results suggest that edible weeds are an integral part of rural diets, i.e. during the ‘hunger months’. While the herbicide revolution poses risks to the availability of edible weeds, herbicide use did not (yet) affect their consumption, likely because still few households use herbicides and only fractions of the farmland are sprayed. Long-term herbicide users are, however less likely to consume edible weeds. Given the potential trade-offs between herbicides, edible weeds, and food and nutrition security, this topic should continue to be monitored and policymakers should pay more attention to such trade-offs when promoting herbicides.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2022.2065949agrochemicalsethnobotanyfood systemsintensificationnutrition-sensitive agriculture |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Daum Alysha Vehre Carolin Schweizerhof Christoph Schunko Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability agrochemicals ethnobotany food systems intensification nutrition-sensitive agriculture |
| title | Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia |
| title_full | Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia |
| title_fullStr | Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia |
| title_short | Edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution. A case study from Zambia |
| title_sort | edible weeds and food and nutrition security in the face of the herbicide revolution a case study from zambia |
| topic | agrochemicals ethnobotany food systems intensification nutrition-sensitive agriculture |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2022.2065949 |
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