Wild food

Wild products are gaining popularity - next to the traditional communities collecting wild products new food-related lifestyle groups interested in these products have emerged. The growing interest has also revitalised the trade in wild products. This is facilitating growth in the volumes of wild products harvested and creating a potential threat of overharvesting. Furthermore, the newly found interest in wild food is also creating tensions between traditional communities, who have harvested and benefitted from wild products for centuries, and newcomers to the practice. Due to the nature of wild products, it is difficult to regulate the extraction of these products and monitor the volumes of foraged products. Nevertheless, to ensure that we benefit from the positive aspects of this social and economic interest and to counteract potential negative impacts, new regulatory approaches must be found.