Wild foods and dietary practices in mineral-rich and granitic landscapes: a comparative study along Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke

Utility is a key driver of conservation of natural ecosystems, especially now, with the threats posed by climate change, as wild foods are increasingly becoming a coping strategy. The availability of wild foods is threatened by anthropogenic activities, including mining and cultivation, which negatively impact rural communities that rely on them as dietary supplements. The objective of the study was to determine the availability and diversity of wild foods consumed along the mineral-rich serpentinic ultramafic geological (SUG) landscape of the Great Dyke and the surrounding granitic geological (GG) landscape in Zimbabwe. The methodology employed a stratified experimental design using underlying geology (SUG and GG) as strata. Data on types of wild foods and parts consumed were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions (FDG). Participants from the SUG and GG environments included farmers, miners, and government employees residing in these areas. The response rate was 99% (169 from 171 questionnaires). The sample population was divided into 72 respondents from the GG and 97 from the SUG environments. Fifty (50) wild foods in the SUG environment and 33 in the GG environment were found. The difference was attributed to greater anthropogenic disturbance in GG compared to the SUG. The proportion of wild foods that contributed 80% cumulative consumption was higher in the GG (48%) compared to 34% in the SUG. Fidelity Levels were significantly higher in SUG than GG for Azanza, Uapaca and Syzygium spp. The results show that SUG, apart from being known as mineral-rich and associated with mining, is a more significant source of wild foods than the GG. Future studies should focus on assessing health risks associated with the consumption of these wild foods.