Assessment of Indigenous Knowledge on Forest Foods Consumption and Herbal Medicine Use in Buikwe District

Abstract:

This study investigated the local communities’ application of ecological knowledge in the selection and use of forest products for food and medicine in Buikwe district. In Uganda, utilization of indigenous knowledge systems regarding plants to promote food security and health and wellbeing of the human population is widespread. This aims to generate information about the way members of the same communities use different forest products for food and medicine, as well as the role each household member plays at various stages in forest products’ distribution chain. We used interview method to collect data on key variables, including forest products harvested, frequency of visits to the forest, persons involved and household demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed for descriptive measures of central tendency and spread and information presented in tabular format. The results revealed that households with more than 5 members were more involved in the harvesting of forest products compared to their counterparts with less than 5 members at 71.7% and 51% respectively. Communities living adjacent to the park admitted that they were able to save upto Ush 50,000 a month when the use forest products, whereas some member made extra income from the sales of forest products. The findings have implications for policy regarding management practices that would achieve the greatest conservation goals without compromising economic value of Mabira Forest Reserve to the local communities.