ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Urban agriculture has been evidenced as a food production and environmental sustainability strategy, although it faces many obstacles in Latin American countries. Additionally, in urban areas, low consumption of fruit and greenery is noticeable, along with loss in food diversity, including the neglected and underutilized species (NUS), which involve potential to strengthen local food systems. For this reason, this work has sought to map urban gardens in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, characterizing their gardeners, and to systematize information regarding food produced and the use of NUS. METHODS: The municipality's urban gardens were mapped and data was collected from the gardeners. The study included two steps: (i) garden localization; (ii) on-site visits for interviews with gardeners and verification of cultivated food, destination of production, availability, and use of NUS. RESULTS: Eighteen active food gardens were located, seventeen of which participated in the study: eight (8) communal (UCG) and nine (9) private (UPG). Respondents were on average 55.76 years old, mostly (52.9%) male, working at UPG (88.9%). Women predominated in the UCG (87.5%), with higher levels of education. For 52.9% of the interviewees, the garden was their main source of income. Food produced at the urban gardens was consumed by 82.4% of the gardeners and their families. In 70.6% of the gardens, production was also sold, while 47.1% donated. During the survey, 59 NUS were found and 76.5% of respondents reported consuming 19 of the species. NUS leaves, fruits, and seeds were found to be eaten raw, boiled, or sautéed in various preparations, especially Coleus amboinicus Lour. (76.5%), Eryngium foetidum L. (35.3%), Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss., and Pereskia aculeata Mill (both 29.4%). Occurrence and utilization of NUS did not present significant associations with the gardens or gardeners (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Salvador urban gardens, even in small numbers and without government support, have produced affordable food for the local population, preserved food diversity, and the tradition of NUS cultivation and use. Thus, urban gardens are reaffirmed as relevant spaces that should be included in public policies in order to promote food and nutritional security, biodiversity, and urban environmental sustainability.
Subject(s)
Gardening , Plants, Edible/classification , Brazil , Cities , Cross-Sectional Studies , Environment Design , Female , Food Supply , Gardens , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Dentre as espécies cultivadas no semiárido baiano, as abóboras são uma excelente alternativa de produção. Nessa região onde são encontrados os mais baixos Índices de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) do Brasil e populações com alta incidência de hipovitaminose A, materiais promissores de abóboras, fontes de carotenoides, podem ser inseridos no agronegócio irrigado. O objetivo do trabalho foi identificar acessos de abóboras do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma (BAG) de Cucurbitáceas da Embrapa Semiárido com altos teores de carotenoides totais e vitamina A. Os teores de carotenoides totais (CT), expressos em termos de β-caroteno, variaram de 14,93µg g-1 (A4) até 290,62µg g-1 (A43) entre os diferentes acessos (A). Dos carotenoides encontrados nos acessos com maiores teores de CT, 60-70% foram quantificados como α- e β-caroteno, representando um valor total de vitamina A de 1.182,39 gRAE 100g-1 (A40) e 1.828,84 gRAE 100g-1 (A43). Esses resultados demonstram que os 48 acessos de abóboras do BAG estudados apresentam grande variação quanto ao teor de carotenoides totais, e os selecionados representam alta fonte de vitamina A.
Among the species of short cycle crops, with great potential to be increased within the agribusiness of the Semi-Arid Bahia, the pumpkins are an excellent alternative for production. In this region where are found the lowest HDI of Brazil, and populations with high incidence of hypovitaminosis A, promising materials of pumpkins with high amounts of carotenoids have a chance to be good accepted and inserted into the irrigated agribusiness. The aim of this research was to identify accessions of pumpkins from the Active Germplasm Bank (BAG) of Cucurbitáceas from Embrapa Semi-arid with high amounts of total carotenoids and vitamin A. The amount of total carotenoids found by UV-vis spectrophotometry (445nm) in different accessions (A) ranged from 14.93mg g-1 (A4) to 290.62mg g-1 (A43), with average value of 366.60 31.21µg g-1. In the access with higher amounts of total carotenoids a percentage between 60-70 % were quantified as α- and β-carotene showing a total value of vitamin A of 1,182.39 gRAE 100g-1 (A40) and 1,828.84 gRAE 100g-1 (A43). These results demonstrate that the 48 accessions of pumpkins BAG studied show a big variation in the content of total carotenoids, and may represent some high source of vitamin A, which really increase the importance of identifying genotypes for production in large scale of lines segregant of vitamin A.
