Food plants

Abstract

Food plants are characterized as having one or more parts that can be used in human food. In this group, there are nonconventional food plants that were for decades the main resources used by hunter-gatherer people. Although many of these species are common, their uses are currently neglected, even by human populations living in direct contact with native vegetation and developing subsistence practices. In this chapter, we elucidate the important contributions of nonconventional food plants in the diets of human populations over time. We will also highlight the factors that infl uence the selection of food plants that are used by different communities around the world. Finally, we discuss strategies for the dissemination and popularization of these species.