Protecting Biodiversity and Human Health through Wild Edible Plants of Alandraza-Agnalavelo Sacred Forest, Madagascar

Wild edible plant species are very important to people living in the dry southwestern region of Madagascar. The community living around the sacred forest Alandraza-Agnalavelo located in the same region are no exception.  According to our preliminary survey (Randrianarivony et al. 2015), about 40 wild plant species were cited by community living around Alandraza-Agnalavelo for consumption to alleviate hunger during drought periods.

For this project, we will study nutritional value and the conservation status of the five wild plant species most used by the community surrounding Alandraza-Agnalavelo during starvation periods in order to support human health and inform biodiversity conservation. This is a collaborative research project between Missouri Botanical Garden and the Brown School of Social Work of Washington University. MBG provides expertise in research and biodiversity conservation in Madagascar and Brown School brings globally tested best practices in identifying environmentally sustainable nutrition solutions. Surveys will be undertaken to gather data on socio-economic and demographic factors driving wild food choices during hunger period and to understand attitudes, practices, and behaviors of local people facing starvation. Through this research, we will make available a management plan and information about nutrient contents for the most important wild edible plant species from this sacred forest.

Publications

Iannotti L, Randrianarivony T, Randrianasolo A, Rakotoarivony F, Andriamihajarivo T, LaBrier M, Gyimah E, Vie S, Nunez-Garcia A, Hart R. (2024). Wild Foods Are Positively Associated with Diet Diversity and Child Growth in a Protected Forest Area of Madagascar. Current Developments in Nutrition, 8(4). doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.102101.

Research Team

Tabita Randrianarivony, Missouri Botanical Garden
Lora Iannotti, WashU (Brown School of Social Work)
Armand Randrianasolo, Missouri Botanical Garden