ABSTRACT
Can we do without forests? Everywhere, forests prevent soil erosion, filter and regulate the flow of fresh water, control pests and buffer disease, provide shelter, harbour pollinators and mitigate global warming by sequestering carbon. They also provide a fundamental contribution to household food security, thereby combating hunger and malnutrition (Falconer and Arnold, 1988; FAO, 1989, 1990; Falconer, 1990; Falconer and Koppell, 1990; Hoskins, 1990; Townson, 1995; Arnold and Townson, 1998; Reddy and Chakravarty, 1999). Although forest foods do not usually provide a complete diet, they do make a critical contribution to food supply and are especially important during emergencies, such as drought, famine and war, particularly as a complement to agricultural crops that are only seasonally available (Richards, 1986; Falconer and Koppell 1990; Arnold and Townson, 1998; see very comprehensive bibliographic review on the contribution of wild foods to food security by Scoones et al, 1992). The increased use of forest foods during periods of food insecurity is well described (Fleuret, 1986; Asibey and Beeko, 1998), but forest foods constitute a crucial complement to the diet during less difficult times as well (Falconer and Arnold, 1988; Falconer and Koppell, 1990) by supplying particular micronutrients that are not available in staple foods.
