Leveraging the potential of wild food for healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food systems: learning from a transformation lab in the Western Cape region

• DOI: 10.1007/s11625-022-01182-3
• Publication Date: 2022-08-10T10:02:51Z
• Authors: Laura M. Pereira; Sandra Boatemaa K...; Carolyn Cramer; Scott Drimie; Moenieba Isaacs; Rhoda Malgas; Ethel Phiri; Chimwemwe Tembo; Jenny Willis
• Keywords: Traditional Knowledge; Sustainable Living

Food insecurity and diet-related diseases do not only have detrimental effects to human health, but are also underpinned by food systems that environmentally unsustainable culturally disconnected. Ensuring access a healthy, affordable, sustainable diet is one of the greatest challenges facing many low- middle-income countries such as South Africa. These in accessing diverse often persist despite biocultural richness. For example, Africa globally recognised for its rich biodiversity, an ecologically unrivalled coastline, body traditional knowledge amongst wild-food users. In this paper, we explore potential coastal wild foods neglected underutilised species (NUS) can play local Africa's Western Cape Province. Following previously established transformation lab (T-Lab) method, here report observations outcomes emerging from two-day workshop held May 2019 with group 40 actors involved system ways. Farmers, small-scale fishers, indigenous holders, representatives non-profit organisations, chefs, bartenders, academics, activists, conservationists, government officials were brought together aim strengthening coalition actors. Findings highlighted existence fledgling economy foods, driven high-end chefs. The T-Lab was essentially tool co-production around helped surface deeply embedded issues on land, race, history, culture warrant engagement if better emerge. country drought prone vulnerable climate change, more resilient necessity. But defining alternative governance shift towards healthier, sustainable, equitable will require concerted effort across all stakeholders.