Forest foods can help solve global hunger crisis

The world's forests have great potential to improve the nutrition and ensure livelihood of the people across the world, according to researchers, including one of Indian-origin.
About one in nine people globally still suffer from hunger with the majority of the hungry living in Africa and Asia.
The report released by the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) also underlines the need for the most vulnerable groups of society to have secure access to forest foods.
"Forest foods often provide a safety net during periods of food shortages," said Bhaskar Vira, University of Cambridge, and the chair of the Global Forest Expert Panel on Forests and Food Security, which compiled the report.

"In the study, we reveal impressive examples which show how forests and trees can complement agricultural production and contribute to the income of local people, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world," said Vira.
Tree foods are often rich in vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients and are associated with more diverse diets.

Wild meat, fish, and insects are also important forest food sources. Insects are an especially cheap, abundant source of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, researchers said.
Forests are also essential for firewood and charcoal. In developing countries, 2.4 billion households use these renewable biofuels for cooking and heating.

In India and Nepal, for example, even better-off rural households depend on woodfuels, they said.
"What keeps people hungry is often not the lack of food, but the lack of access to that food and control over its production. We need to recognise claims over food sovereignty which give local people greater control over their food," said Vira.
The report also provides useful insight into how the UN can respond to the "Zero Hunger Challenge," which aims to eliminate global hunger by 2025.