The Food Plant Solutions project was designed to address malnutrition through the use of readily available and local food sources. We create educational publications that help people understand the connection between plant selection and nutrition, and empower them to grow a range of highly nutritious plants with differing seasonal requirements and maturities. We identity food plants that are potentially important for a country or region because they are suited to the environment, they are high in nutrients and they grow with minimal inputs. This is a sustainable solution that empowers people in need, not just for now, but into the future.
We all recognize that the diversity of local well-adapted food plants grown using agroecological methods has multiple benefits. Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group takes that a step further and approaches agriculture, food and nutrition as one topic. Very few people understand the nutritional value of the food they consume, nor do they understand that feeling full does not necessarily mean you are nutritionally satisfied. Agricultural Scientists can advise what nutrients a food plant needs to grow well but most won’t know the nutrients it contains that are critical to human health. Likewise, nutritionists can advise what nutrients are within a plant that are important for human health, but most won’t be able to grow the plant.
Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group brings these together and has a strong history of providing science-based educational resources that are proven to help achieve food and nutrition security, sustainably.
The resources created by Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group allows people to better understand the importance of their local food plants specifically, their nutritional content and how (and why) to grow and use them. By identifying a range of highly nutritious local food plants with differing seasonal requirements and maturities, it helps to ensure continuous, nutritious, sustainable food supply. Local food plants are important because they are adapted to their environment, have sound nutritional density, a natural resistance to pest and disease and functional food benefits. Food sovereignty is important.
With over 32,000 edible plants in the world, there is plethora of edible food plants available (only a small percentage of these are regularly consumed). Diversity helps to create a healthy diet and helps to ensure food security.
Recently we completed a suite of publications for Rwanda, which can be downloaded from our website. - https://foodplantsolutions.org/programs/rwanda/. Publications of this type can be created for any country or region of the world.
