People forage for wild food in public spaces in South African cities – how to plan for this

Foraging , the act of gathering wild plant and animal materials from the environment, is becoming more and more popular in cities around the world.

In South African cities, some people pick wild berries and imifino (wild spinach) in open areas, considering them to be fresher and more nutritious than store-bought foods.

Many people also associate foraging with their cultural heritage, reminding them of time spent in the bush or on rocky beaches harvesting mussels with elders or childhood friends.

Read more: South Africa is rich in plants used for skincare: rural women helped us document some But although some plants that are popular with foragers are also grown in public parks, many people who forage in cities worry they could be told to stop by the authorities if they forage in public parks and gardens.

My research found that this fear is often misplaced.

I am an urban ecologist, and for my PhD , I investigated the ways in which urban people connect with nature through foraging.

I also visited cities along South Africa’s east coast and interviewed 80 foragers and 15 municipal officials who manage public parks, gardens, verges and nature reserves, and looked at the theories behind foraging.

I wanted to find out whether city residents shared an understanding of how foraging could benefit both people and nature, and where people could forage safely and sustainably.

My research found that most people gathered plants from vacant land and roadsides, avoiding parks and public gardens because they feared being reprimanded.

But land managers generally supported foraging in public spaces, and some even planted useful species for people to harvest.

Better communication between residents and land managers could help make urban foraging work for both people and nature.

Where can people forage sustainably? My research identified four main urban green spaces that can be managed by land managers and the public to make them better for foraging.

These were communal residential gardens and yards, public street sides and verges, public parks and gardens, and nature reserves.

I didn’t look into vacant land, because although these lots are important spaces for foragers, they are not actively managed by the municipality or their owners.