2023-03-26-ADB-Does_Wild_Food_Contribute_to_Food_Security_Evidence_from_Rural_Bhutan_20页_440kb

Summary of "Does Wild Food Contribute to Food Security? Evidence from Rural Bhutan"

Introduction

• This study analyzes the role of wild foods in food security among rural farmers in Bhutan during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how wild food collection copes with food insecurity.

Key Findings

• Wild foods are widely consumed and collected in rural Bhutan, with approximately 47% of households engaging in collection as a coping mechanism.
• Food-insecure households are significantly more likely to collect wild foods, highlighting their use as a resilience strategy against food scarcity.
• Common wild foods include mushrooms and plants, primarily for subsistence consumption, contributing nutritionally to limited-income households.
• Wild food collection is accessible across wealth levels, but low-income households rely more on it, though it does not fully solve underlying food security issues.

Methodology

• Data from the Bhutan Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Survey (2021-2022) involved 834 households.
• Logistic regression models examined the relationship between food insecurity and wild food collection, controlling for socioeconomic factors like household characteristics and regional fixed effects.

Policy Recommendations

• Integrate wild food considerations into national and international food security policies to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability.
• Governments should manage wild foods as a public good, focusing on conservation to preserve biodiversity and support sustainable harvesting.
• Policies should promote awareness and education on wild food benefits and sustainable use, while balancing wildlife conservation efforts to avoid negatively impacting household food security.