Foraged, Trapped and Hunted Foods in Valappur Nadu of Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu Raghu Prabhakaran T.a, Kalaiselvan N.N.a, Nambi V. Arivudaia, Brindha G.b, Philip P.I. Mariaa aM.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai-600 113, Tamil Nadu bBharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu Online published on 10 September, 2013. Abstract This study has presented a snapshot of wild food species that are foraged, trapped and hunted by tribal households in Valappur Nadu of Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu. The data for study were collected through personal survey of 40 households in Manjalpatti and Keelsen villages during February and March, 2013. The study has revealed that these tribal households continue to use a number of wild green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, vegetables and roots & tubers to supplement their traditional staple diets. Some of the major constraints cited by the households included that lack of time and interest to forage, trap or hunt food commodities. These probably indicate the major changes unfolding in the socio-economic status of the tribal community in the Kolli Hills and also encompass the changes in land-use. Appropriate interventions like introduction of some of the wild species into home gardens or farmlands will ensure their presence in the household food basket. In addition, favourable government policies may be formulated to improve the access to wild food diversity found in commons and seasonal commons to ensure household food and nutrional security in this area. Top Keywords Wild foods, tribal households, land-use, home gardens, Kolli hills, Tamil Nadu. Top |