FOOD CONSUMPTION OF UNDERUTILIZED PLANTS BY TWO AMAZONIAN TACANA COMMUNITIES: DRIVERS AND GENDER

Abstract

Tumupasa is considered the cradle of the Tacana culture, and San Silvestre is recognized as an indigenous community of Indigenous Cominutary Territory due to its long-standing. The objectives of the investigation were: contribute to the documentation of food consumption of underutilized native plants by the Tacana indigenous group, evaluate the species and use preferences in the Tumupasa and San Silvestre communities, analyze the causes of the underutilization of food plants in the time and correlate knowledge and use of underutilized native food plants with gender. Ethnobotanical study of both communities was carried out, through semi-structured interviews with 63 elderly adults; and the collection of botanical specimens of underutilized food plants; the information recorded was on the food use of underutilized plants and the difference in knowledge between men and women. Analyzes were performed with ethnobotanical indices such as the value of use, cultural importance, and the factor of consensus of informants. 17 underutilized species identified in four food subcategories were recorded. Among the most important species were Attalea princeps (0.35), Bactris gasipaes (0.35), Euterpe precatoria (0.28) and Theobroma cacao (0.28). The use value was higher for Dioscorea trifida (UVn = 0.7) and Colocasia esculenta (UVn = 0.7), the species with the lowest value were Astrocaryum gratum (UVn = 0.05) and Ocotea sp. (UVn = 0.03). The knowledge of women and men is the same for the use of palm trees, however, there are differences with the use of Talinum paniculate (Women: 100% in Tumupasa and 60% in San Silvestre). The main cause for the underutilization of these species was the replacement by other species of commercial value, followed by the lack of interest in young groups. The underutilized food species in both Tacana communities, mostly native, are still in the knowledge of their adult inhabitants.