Abstract

Malawi, like most countries in Sub –Saharan Africa, is chronically food insecure. While chronic poverty may be regarded as the major cause of food insecurity in Malawi, over- dependency on maize as the only staple food, ignoring other foods such as wild foods has also contributed to food insecurity in the country. Wild foods in this thesis are defined as living things (plants and animals) that ‘grow’ in natural conditions without human interference and are eaten by human beings. These have been used as food by human beings for a long time dating back to the first generation. Wild foods in Malawi, despite their abundance and varied potential beneficial values, they have not received much policy attention similar to domesticated foods and resulting decline in their availability. It was against this background that a study was designed and carried out in Kaphuka Extension Planning Area to identify and categorise available wild foods as well as assess their importance to improve food security among households in the area.Data on common edible wild foods, human dependency on wild foods, availability, conservation strategies and domestication potential was collected using individual structured interviews with questionnaire and focus group discussions using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach. Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Descriptive statistics (frequencies, cross tabulation and Chi-Square), data reduction (Factor Analysis), T-Tests, ANOVA and Regression Analysis (linear) were performed to establish associations, comparisons and relationships between variables and also to test effects of certain variables on gathering and consumption of wild foods in the study area. The study recorded a total of 42 different species of wild foods, which are consumed by households around Kaphuka EPA. Most of these wild foods are commonly consumed during the hunger periods indicating that consumption of wild foods around Kaphuka EPA is not by choice but by need. Thirty of 42 species of wild foods fall into three categorises: typical wild famine foods, wild foods with famine-food components and wild-foods that attract additional consumer categories during food shortage periods. The results further reveal that tribe and household size have significant influence on household dependency on wild foods. Larger households appear to depend more on wild foods than smaller households. The Chewa people are less selective and appear to depend more on wild foods than the Yao people. Wild foods around Kaphuka EPA are threatened by several factors among them deforestation, bushfires and over harvesting. Despite these threats, both at government as well as household level, very little is being done to conserve wild foods. Some widely eaten wild foods in the study area have shown domestication potential, but lack of scientific knowledge, skills and policy direction seem to hinder household efforts to domesticate these wild foods. This study has shown that wild foods have great potential to contribute to food and nutritional security, therefore considering the fact that these edible wild plants and animals are becoming rare, this study strongly recommends that government initiates projects aimed at promoting the consumption and conservation of wild foods as part of food security strategy by households around Kaphuka EPA and in other parts of the country.

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School	: School of Natural and Applied Sciences
Issued Date	: 2007

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