Bioinventary of underutilized edible and medicinal species of northern Venezuela

Abstract

In the world, food systems have been developed on a narrow base and a high vulnerability. Particularly in Venezuela, more than a third of daily calories intake is supplemented by processed cereals, and the consume of fruits and green vegetables is restricted. This paper document the presence of native or naturalized species growth for consumption, in communities located in northern Venezuela. The frequency of use of alternative species, production fate, and origin and distribution of each species is presented. Up to 46 species were registered as potential alternative for food. The reported species included the lairén (Calathea allouia) and the pumalaca (Syzygium malaccense) with the highest frequency of use. These results show the relevance for production and consume of these wide variety of potentially useful plants for food, and concurrently strengthening food sovereignty of small communities.