Why Wild?
I'm convinced that foraged foods should, and perhaps must, be a part of creating a better food system. Here's why.
It’s not news: our food system is broken.
Most of the food we eat is grown and processed by just a handful of corporations. In the past 150 years, we’ve created a global food system that feeds billions of people, but incentivizes poor nutrition, exploits agricultural workers, depletes vital resources, and generates up to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed pervasive systemic gaps in community food resiliency, and climate change patterns are putting increasing pressure on our ability to supply sufficient, nutritious food for all.
The irony, of course, is that the same food system that is responsible for this diversity of challenges is the system that can create comprehensive solutions. Several leading climate solution organizations outline food and agriculture initiatives that not only mitigate contributions to climate change, but can effectively heal our people and planet. If you ask me, there is great hope: I see actions from municipalities, corporations, non-profits, and institutions all over. But I also see a big gap.
To me, creating a more equitable and sustainable food system should, and perhaps must, include more wild ingredients. Foraging sits neatly at the intersection of agricultural production, environmental protection, public health, and social justice. Wild foods boast a staggering diversity of nutritional benefits, require no agricultural inputs or costs, and contribute to local biodiverse ecosystems. While there are no studies (that I’m aware of) that measure the carbon emissions of wild vs cultivated foods, it is logical to conclude that wild-grown ingredients produce far less than their cultivated counterparts at nearly every stage of production. They tend to grow in dynamic systems that help sequester carbon and water, all while providing habitat for wildlife and creating green space for people.
Speaking of which: if you learn to forage for yourself, you’re in for even more treats! Foraging is associated with an entire matrix of positive health benefits: Getting out in nature, exercising, eating fresh ingredients, becoming active in a social community, and consuming more plants. And let’s not forget to mention that wild foods taste absolutely, unbelievably, shockingly wonderful. You may already know about morels and ramps, but there are literally thousands of plants and mushrooms that boast bold flavors and tantalizing textures.
Maybe you’re thinking “well that nice, but we can’t forage all of our food, we’d destroy the environment” - and you’re right. I don’t think anyone needs to eat an all-wild diet. I don’t even think every individual needs to learn to forage for themselves. But I do think we should create systems that supports foragers and protects the lands they harvest from. This includes creating economic resources for foragers to thrive, and driving demand for wild foods through culinary inspiration. Foragers tend to identify as conservationists, and use their knowledge to encourage native biodiversity and mitigate the spread of invasive species. They also tend to come from marginalized communities and low socio-economic backgrounds. By purchasing foods from foragers, you have a direct positive impact on local land stewardship, on equitable economies, and on strengthening community food sovereignty.
I believe in a future where wild foods are an integral and widely accepted part of our sustainable food system, and I want to help organize the foraging community to increase the number of resources required to achieve that vision. Imagine a future where it’s commonplace to eat weeds from your lawn and collect nuts from your neighborhood park. Or, think of cities designed with urban edible forests, where park management systems encourage and facilitate community harvests. What about grocery stores stocked with wild foods processed by tribal communities? Or an acorn flour brand that purchases from hundreds low-income, rural forest owners in Appalachia? Food hubs designed to process locally foraged foods? Pawpaws in school lunches?
If communities can diversify their methods of food procurement and consumption to include wild-sourced foods, and if they can create resources and protections for foragers and harvestable lands, then they can demonstrably strengthen their food sovereignty and resiliency. And that, frankly, is huge.
So where do we start?
Well, with you.
Individuals can have some of the biggest impacts on creating a better food system, and the good news is your job is really fun: eat good food.
More specifically: eat diverse, plant-rich foods, and explore wild ingredients as much as you can. Every time you choose to include a wild food in your meal, you divert dollars from the dominant food corporations that are destroying our planet, you prioritize your personal health, you strengthen community resiliency, and you help create a joyful, wild food culture. Not to mention: you eat something delicious.
At the Wild Grocery, you’ll find a wide range of resources and recipes to teach you how to incorporate foraged ingredients into your regular cooking. Whether you forage yourself, purchase from a forager, or barter with someone in your community, wild foods have never been more accessible. But even so, there may still be times you can’t find a listed wild ingredient. The recipes on this Substack are always cross-tested with conventional grocery store foods, meaning you can cook any recipe in any season, with our without the wild ingredient, and still learn about the foraged flavors while you cook.
Curious? Good.
If you want to see research that backs the claims made in this article, just kindly ask in the comments!