Unlocking Wild Edible Fruits of Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hot Spot, Arunachal Pradesh, India, to Support Food Security and Sustainable Rural Livelihood

Tridip Kumar Hazarika (), Basik Tayeng, Rody Ngurthankhumi, Esther Lalruatsangi, Kalidas Upadhyaya and Nicolee Lyngdoh
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Tridip Kumar Hazarika: Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
Basik Tayeng: Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
Rody Ngurthankhumi: Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
Esther Lalruatsangi: College of Horticulture, Thenzawl, Central Agricultural University, Aizawl 796014, India
Kalidas Upadhyaya: Department of Forestry, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
Nicolee Lyngdoh: Biodiversity Research Centre, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Forests inhabit a large number of trees, shrubs, climbers, non-timber forest products and a number of wild edible fruits. These wild edible fruits are an indispensable constituent of human life and rich in vitamins, minerals, fibres, antioxidants, alkaloids, and phenolics. Many of them are good source of medicines. The present study was undertaken to document wild edible fruits of Arunachal Pradesh, India, and their socioeconomic importance in the sustainable rural economy. The study revealed that altogether 50 wild edible fruits belonging to 31 families are used against a number of ailments. They have a number of uses in the socioeconomic life of rural people such as constructional timbers, firewood, charcoal, fodder, fish poisoning, dyes, oils, etc. Although these fruits play an important role in the life of tribal people, these valuable species have been vanishing at a very fast rate. Therefore, promoting their sustainable use and increasing their abundance in different landscapes through the agroforestry system must immediately be undertaken. The claimed therapeutic values are to be critically studied and dynamic conservation of associated indigenous knowledge among local tribal communities should be carried out through policy interventions, implementation of farmer’s rights, and generation of awareness among the local people. Policy makers should immediately undertake strategic plans for both in situ and ex situ conservation of wild edible fruits that have ethno-medicinal values. In addition, the orally transmitted therapeutic values of wild edible fruits should be urgently documented to safeguard these valuable species from further extinction.

Keywords: ethno-medicinal value; food security; socioeconomic importance; sustainability; wild edible fruits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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