Food biodiversity includes both locally cultivated and wild food species in Guasaganda, Central Ecuador

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, the number of wild and domesticated food species is declining, which endangers dietary diversity of particularly indigenous people. Unfortunately, eating culture and traditional knowledge is also hampered when food species are no longer available. Methods: This study reports the food biodiversity in Guasaganda, Central Ecuador, using a combination of methods aiming to inform local initiatives. Results and discussion: The number of species includes 49 wild, 41 cultivated, and 28 semi-cultivated plants and 13 wild, 9 domesticated, and 1 semi-domesticated animal species. Although, Guasaganda is a hot spot of plant and animal diversity, a limited number of plant (3.00 SD 1.45) and animal species (2.37 SD 1.44) are available at the farm. Conclusion: Increasing the number of edible species in the food system is imperative for dietary diversity. Further research should document the consumption of the reported foods, and the nutrient and biochemical content to assess nutrient adequacy of the diet.