Urban gardening and neglected and underutilized species in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
The formulation of public policies aimed at urban agriculture is essential to support and promote agricultural activities in the municipality of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
By Manuela Alves da Cunha, Lidice Almeida Arlego Paraguassú, José Geraldo de Aquino Assis, Arthur Benjamin de Paula Carvalho Silva & Ryzia de Cassia Vieira Cardoso
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Volume 16, Article number: 67 (2020)
Abstract
Background
Urban agriculture has been evidenced as a food production and environmental sustainability strategy, although it faces many obstacles in Latin American countries. Additionally, in urban areas, low consumption of fruit and greenery is noticeable, along with loss in food diversity, including the neglected and underutilized species (NUS), which involve potential to strengthen local food systems. For this reason, this work has sought to map urban gardens in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, characterizing their gardeners, and to systematize information regarding food produced and the use of NUS.
Conclusions
The study aimed to systematize information about urban gardens, its producers, and the occurrence of NUS in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in order to discuss questions regarding supply, healthier eating practices, and sustainability, in line with the national food and nutrition security guidelines.
Based on the gardens’ location survey, it was possible to evidence the lack of records in the competent public agencies about urban agriculture in the municipality, which resulted in greater time spent to set the study into operation. A limited number of gardens compared with previous records were identified, which may reflect the lack of government support and incentive to urban agriculture in the municipality. Nevertheless, it was observed that urban, private, and community gardens have contributed to the city’s food supply, playing an important role in the population’s food and nutrition security and in building a more sustainable urban environment.
Many NUS were available in the city’s urban gardens. Most species grew spontaneously and, especially in private gardens, were removed as “weeds,” favoring the production of high demand foods in the commercialization circuits.
On the other hand, many of the interviewed gardeners, mainly women, have been using some of these vegetables to feed their families. NUS leaves, fruits, and seeds have been cited as ingredients or even as the main element of a large number of culinary preparations, which shows the versatility of the use of these vegetables in the urban population’s diet.
In view of the findings, it has been assessed that the formulation of public policies aimed at urban agriculture is essential to support and promote agricultural activities in the municipality of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, including strategies for the insertion of NUS in the agricultural production and food for the population. In this sense, the integration between Agrobiodiversity and FNS can bring great benefits to the communities of the municipality and to the environment.
In addition, further research is suggested to investigate the nutritional value of NUS, their potential use for menu diversification, strategies for promoting consumption, and their contribution to the health of individuals. Furthermore, there is a need to encourage studies that can strengthen and accompany the development of urban agriculture, in places where the activity is fragile, in view of the local food system.
