Exploring Urban Foraging in Cities: Cultivating Sustainable Urban Environments for Food Security and Social Cohesion

Urban green spaces provide multiple benefits to society, and one of the major benefits is the provision of foraging wild edibles. Inclusion of wild edibles as a dietary source can provide food security to cities in the face of impending crises, including pandemics and natural calamities. This chapter emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of urban foraging, which includes its diverse dietary value, complex spatial dynamics, policy regulations, and accessibility concerns. The chapter builds on recently published perspectives regarding foraging habits and patterns in cities, highlighting the importance of conscious foraging behavior and offers an overview of the potential of instrumentalizing urban foraging for the future of sustainable cities. The integration of wild edible species and the preservation of traditional knowledge enhance the multifunctionality and benefits of urban foraging. The need for awareness and knowledge transfer among future foragers to ensure responsible and successful integration of foraging into urban planning and development is emphasised.