1 FINAL DOCUMENT WILD FOODPLANTS AS ‘SUPERFOODS’: ARE THERE SPECIES THAT CAN BE SUSTAINABLEY HARVESTED AND USED TO SUPORT COMMUNITY CONSERVATION ON THE WILD COAST, SOUTH AFRICA? Dr. Derek Berliner Eco-logic consulting Report to THE WILDLANDS CONSERVATION TRUST CEPF INVESTMENT IN THE MAPUTALAND-PONDOLAND-ALBANY HOTSPOT 14 February 2013 2 Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Context ............................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Project aims ....................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Description of study area ................................................................................... 7 1.4 Wild foods, indigenous knowledge and botanical diversity ................................. 8 1.5 Wild food plants and potential domestication ................................................... 10 1.6 Commercial success stories............................................................................. 11 1.7 What are superfoods? ...................................................................................... 12 2 Approach ................................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Defining grades of superfood ........................................................................... 13 2.2 Search methodology ........................................................................................ 15 2.2.1 Personal observation and interviews ......................................................... 15 2.2.2 Direct communication with specialists ....................................................... 15 2.2.3 Review of key literature sources ................................................................ 16 2.2.4 Conservation criteria .................................................................................. 17 2.2.5 Multi-criteria analysis ................................................................................. 18 2.3 Database on nutritional values ......................................................................... 18 2.4 Description of database and limitations ............................................................ 21 2.5 Indicators used to rank nutritional quality of wild foods ................................... 21 2 5.1 Approximate Nutrient density ..................................................................... 22 2.5.2 Percentage Complete Food index (% CFI).................................................... 22 2.6 Summary of research methodology ................................................................. 23 3. Important considerations in the selection of a wild plant food ................................... 24 3.1 Non nutritional components of wild foods with potential health benefits .............. 24 3.2 Health risks and safety considerations ............................................................. 26 3.3 Reduction of anti-nutritional factors through processing .................................. 27 3.4 Evaluation of nutritional status of natural foods ................................................ 28 3.4.1 Problems with nutritional food ranking ....................................................... 31 3.4.2 What about food interactions and ratios of nutrients? ................................ 31 3 3.4.3 Interaction between nutrients effecting absorption .................................... 32 4 Results: Literature review of the most commonly used wild foods for the Eastern Cape .............................................................................................................................. 34 4.1 Fruits ................................................................................................................ 34 4.2 Seeds/nuts ....................................................................................................... 35 4.3 Vegetables ....................................................................................................... 36 5 Results: Species selected based on indices calculated from the wild foods nutritional database ....................................................................................................... 38 5.1 Top ranking foods- all parts .............................................................................. 38 5.2 Top ranking fruit-trees occurring in the Eastern Cape ...................................... 39 5.3 Top priority fruit-trees with high palatability and occurrence ............................ 39 5.4 Top ranking seed and nut producing plants occurring in Eastern Cape ........... 39 5.5 Top ranking nut trees that do not occur in the Eastern Cape ............................... 40 5.6. Top ranking wild foods for specific nutrients ....................................................... 40 5.6.1 Protein ........................................................................................................... 41 5.6.1 Vitamin C .................................................................................................. 42 5.6.2 Iron ............................................................................................................ 44 5.6.3 Calcium and Magnesim ........................................................................... 44 6 Potential conservation benefits associated with wild food utilization: Case study for Coast Red -milkwood dune forests on Wild Coast ........................................................ 45 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 45 6.2 Case study: Belungula and Mdumbi dune forests ................................................ 45 6.3 The commercial potential of Red-milkwood trees ................................................ 49 7 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 49 8 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 51 9 Way forward and vision .......................................................................................... 51 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 59 Appendix A: Top 18 plants selected using % Complete Food Index (CFI), for all parts 60 Appendix B. Top wild fruit plants occurring within the Eastern Cape , ranked according to the CFI (complete food index .................................................................................... 61 *** The author reserves the right to the intellectual property (rights) of this document, unless where otherwise stated or as referenced 4 Citation: D.D. Berliner, 2013. Wild food plants as ‘superfoods’: Are there species that can be sustainably harvested and used to support community conservation incentives on the Wild Coast, South Africa. Report to the WildLands Conservation Trust for the CPEF Investment in the Maputuland- Pondoland-Albany Hotspot. February 2013. 5 Abstract This report identifies traditionally used wild foods eaten in the communal areas of the Wild Coast. The aim of the study was to identify plants and plant parts that show potential as sustainably harvested „superfoods‟. Two complementary methods were used to identify candidate plants; these were: collating available information on wild plants utilized in the communal areas of the Eastern Cape (literature review and personal observations), and an analysis of the macro and micro nutritional content of these foods (a database of wild plants was specifically developed for this study).Two aggregated nutritional indices were uses to rank wild food plants, these were the % Complete Food Index and the Nutritional Density Indices. This report develops a definition of a „superfoods‟ based on number of criteria. Species that have been successfully commercialized, marketed as nutritional supplements, and that provide direct benefits to communities, such as Maroela and Baobab, serve as role models for the development of wild foods enterprises in the communal areas of the Wild Coast. Selection criteria used to identify potential superfood plants, include: occurrence in study area, abundance (plant occurs in relatively high densities) and history of traditional use as a wild food. A second set of criteria were then used that ranked species according to nutritional profiles for macro and micro nutrients (where available). In addition, the potential for the commercialization of a wild food to promote positive conservation spin-offs, have been discussed and is seen as essential to the establishment of such an enterprise. The results of this study show that there are a significant number of wild food plants have exceptionally high nutritional profiles and could qualify as a „superfood‟. Food plants were grouped according to the plant part used, these included: wild leafy vegetables, fruits, and seeds and nuts. The wild leafy vegetables, commonly known as „wild spinach‟, are cosmopolitan weeds that have been part of the traditional diets of many Africans. Of these, a number of Amaranth species have been identified that fit the nutritional profile of a „superfood‟. Commonly