Management and Utilization of Wild Nutraceutical Plants Implications in Diversifying Food Sources and Traditional Health Care Systems in Lare Woreda, Gambella Regional State, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

The diverse wild Nutraceutical plants in Lare woreda of Gambella Regional State areknown to have a huge potential in their overall socio-economic contribution to thecommunity, especially in diversifying food sources and traditional health care systems.However, information on the management, processing and utilization of these plants areinadequate as they are not well studied. Therefore, this study was conducted with theobjective of assessing the management and utilization aspects of the existingnutraceutical plants in the area. To that end, 120 households from three representativeadministrative Kebeles were selected and interviewed using semi-structuredquestionnaire. Other methods of data collection, which include focus group discussions,key informants interview, and preference ranking, were also employed in addition to theformal household survey. A total of 37 wild useful plant species belonging to 27 familiesand contributing to diversifying local food sources and health care systems (for treatingboth human and livestock diseases) were identified. These plant species belong todifferent habits, which include trees, shrubs, climbers, and herbs; and the communitiescan access them in different types of habitats (mainly, from dense woodland areas, openwoodlands, road side plants and bush lands). Different threats encountered in theoverall management of woodland vegetations consisting of these plants, which haveresulted in the decline in their distribution, were also identified. These threats includefrequent fire, agricultural land expansion and investment, fuel wood collection, timbercollection and settlements. With regard to their processing and utilization, some of theseplant parts are consumed raw, whereas some others are taken in the forms of juice aswell as porridge. The different parts of the plants (fruits, leaves, seeds, roots/tubers,barks and stems) are used as sources of food and traditional medicines. Asrecommendations the study suggested that necessary management interventions, whichcan address the major threats identified, should be made in order to enhance the role ofthese plants. Environmental impact assessments associated with proposed conversionsof major habitats of these plants into other land uses, such as agricultural investment andsettlement purposes, should be conducted. Moreover, an all-inclusive and participatorymanagement strategy that involves the local people in managements of these plantsshould be designed and implemented in order to address the major threats. Furtherstudies on the chemical and nutritional aspects of these wild nutraceutical plants in thearea are also required for designing more modern ways of their processing andutilization.