Researchers talked to 116 people living in a remote forest area of Argentina to understand how their eating habits have changed over the past 10 years. They found that families are eating much less wild meat, fruits, and honey than they used to. Instead, people are buying more food from stores and eating more farm-raised meat. The main reasons include money problems, fewer wild animals and plants available because of forest clearing, rules about where people can hunt and gather, and changing traditions. This study helps us understand how important wild foods are to people’s diets and what’s causing these changes.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How much wild food (like hunted meat, wild fruits, and forest honey) people in rural Argentina are eating now compared to 10 years ago, and why the amounts have changed
  • Who participated: 116 local Criollo people (a group with deep roots in rural Argentina) living in settlements across a forest region that is being cleared for farming and development
  • Key finding: Families now eat about 62 kg of wild meat, 119 kg of wild fruits, and 19 kg of forest honey per year—much less than before. They’re replacing these foods with store-bought items and farm-raised meat instead
  • What it means for you: This research shows how losing forests and changing lifestyles affect people’s food sources. If you live in or care about rural communities, this highlights why protecting wild food sources and respecting traditional harvesting areas matters for people’s health and culture

The Research Details

Researchers visited a deforestation frontier (an area where forests are being cleared) in the Argentine Dry Chaco region and interviewed 116 local people about their food habits. They asked people about what wild foods they ate over the past decade and what caused changes in their eating patterns. This approach, called qualitative research, lets researchers understand people’s real experiences and reasons behind their choices rather than just collecting numbers. The interviews captured personal stories about how life has changed for these communities.

By listening directly to people living in these communities, researchers get accurate information about how deforestation and economic changes actually affect daily life. This method is better than guessing from a distance because it captures the real reasons why people make different food choices—whether it’s because animals disappeared, they can’t access hunting areas, they need money, or their traditions are changing.

This study’s strength is that it directly interviewed a substantial number of people (116) across multiple settlements, giving a good picture of the community. The researchers were studying real people’s actual experiences rather than just looking at statistics. However, the study doesn’t include detailed information about exactly how many people were interviewed in each location or how researchers selected who to talk to, which would help us understand if the results apply to all similar communities

What the Results Show

The most important finding is that wild food consumption has dropped significantly. Families now eat only 62 kg of wild meat per year—a major decrease from what people remember eating a decade ago. Wild fruit collection is at 119 kg per year, and forest honey at 19 kg per year. These numbers show that wild foods, which used to be a major part of people’s diets, are becoming less important.

Instead of eating wild foods, families are increasingly buying meat and other foods from stores and eating farm-raised livestock. This shift happened because of several connected reasons: families need money and can’t spend time hunting and gathering, there are fewer wild animals and plants available due to forest clearing, local governments have restricted where people can hunt and gather, and younger generations are adopting different eating habits and lifestyles.

The research shows this isn’t just about food—it’s about how entire communities are changing. As forests disappear and modern life takes over, traditional ways of feeding families are disappearing too.

The study reveals that the decline in wild food consumption isn’t happening for just one reason. Economic pressure is a major factor—when families struggle financially, they can’t afford to spend time hunting and gathering when they could be working for money instead. The loss of forests directly reduces what’s available to eat. Rules about harvesting rights also matter—if people can’t legally access certain areas, they can’t collect food there. Finally, cultural shifts mean younger people don’t always know or want to follow their parents’ traditional food practices.

Previous research has shown that wild foods are crucial for nutrition and survival in many rural communities worldwide. This study adds important detail by showing exactly how and why this is changing in one specific region. It confirms what other researchers have found—that deforestation and economic development push communities away from traditional food sources—while also documenting the specific local reasons and the actual amounts of food involved.

The study focuses on one region of Argentina, so the results may not apply to other deforestation areas or different communities. The researchers didn’t provide detailed information about how they selected the 116 people interviewed, which could affect whether the results represent the whole community fairly. The study also relies on people’s memories of what they ate 10 years ago, which might not be completely accurate. Additionally, the research doesn’t deeply explore potential solutions or how communities might adapt to these changes

The Bottom Line

If you work in rural development, conservation, or public health: Consider how forest protection and supporting traditional food systems can improve community health and resilience. If you’re a policymaker: Recognize that restricting access to harvesting areas affects food security and should be balanced with conservation goals. If you’re interested in indigenous or traditional communities: Support efforts to document and preserve traditional food knowledge before it disappears. Confidence level: Moderate—this research is solid but focuses on one region

Environmental organizations and forest conservation groups should care because this shows the real human impact of deforestation. Rural development workers should care because it highlights how economic changes affect food security. Public health professionals should care because wild foods often provide important nutrients. Policymakers should care because it shows unintended consequences of forest policies. People interested in indigenous rights and cultural preservation should care because traditional food practices are disappearing. This research is less directly relevant to urban populations in developed countries, though it illustrates global food system issues

Changes in wild food consumption happened gradually over a decade, suggesting that reversing these trends would also take time. If communities had better access to harvesting areas and economic support for traditional practices, it might take several years to see increased wild food consumption. However, without intervention, the trend toward less wild food consumption will likely continue

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you live in a rural area with access to wild foods: Track weekly wild food consumption in grams or servings (wild meat, foraged fruits, honey, nuts, etc.) to monitor your family’s actual intake and identify seasonal patterns
  • For rural communities: Use the app to document traditional wild foods available in your area, create a seasonal harvesting calendar, and set reminders for peak collection times. This helps preserve knowledge and plan sustainable harvesting
  • Track monthly totals of wild food consumption alongside purchased food consumption to see your household’s balance. Compare year-to-year patterns to understand if your community’s wild food use is changing, and use this data to advocate for better access to harvesting areas or to plan community food security initiatives

This research describes one community’s experience in Argentina and may not apply to all regions or populations. The findings are based on people’s memories and perceptions rather than direct measurement of food consumption. This study is observational and cannot prove that deforestation directly causes changes in wild food eating—only that they occur together. If you’re making decisions about food security, conservation policy, or community development based on this research, consult with local experts, nutritionists, and community members. This information is educational and should not replace professional advice from agricultural extension services, nutritionists, or policy experts familiar with your specific region