Ethnobotanical study of wild food plants used by farmers in Konso, Ethiopia. Gathering and consumption of specific wild food plants mark the levels of household food stock.

This study examines how farmers in Konso, Ethiopia, use (semi-)wild food plants to supplement their diets and food stocks. The reliance on these plants is a deliberate coping strategy rather than an emergency response alone. 136 plant species and plant parts were documented being used both in normal and food stress times. By classifying the plants using a traffic-light system, the study distinguishes species consumed in normal times from those that signal increasing or critical food stress. The study showed that only certain species are collected during periods of severe food scarcity. The research also identified and mapped 15 habitat types where these plants occur and assessed their abundance, diversity, and seasonal availability. The findings demonstrate that wild food plants play a substantial role in household and community food security in Konso. Documenting this indigenous knowledge and the ecological distribution of wild food plants is essential for informed planning, conservation efforts, development interventions, and strengthening food security.