Systematic documentation of traditional knowledge related to plants used for food and medicine

Abstract

Traditional knowledge generally refers to experiences of long standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous or local communities. It is getting eroded rapidly due to changing living habits of the people. There is an urgent need to document the remaining invaluable information for the welfare of people now and protect for posterity. Kerala, the southernmost tip of the Indian sub-continent, is considered as home to the most diverse and richest traditional knowledge systems due to its unique cultural expressions, which are directly or indirectly linked with the surrounding environment, ranging from the coastal and plains to mountainous regions. This varied and diverse topography of Kerala resulted in a rich variety and variability of flora and fauna, especially the plants used for food and medicine. This paper deals with the traditional knowledge related to plants used for food and medicine from the selected gramapanchayats of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, Kerala, India. This article could serve as a lead to researchers for further studies in this domain.