Young People's Perception On Forest Food Consumption Between China And Uzbekistan

Forests play an irreplaceable role in human life.Forest resources provide a source of nutrient-rich food for one billion people by providing about 20% of proteins in the diet across the world.Consuming forest foods has already been popular in the cities and often represents well-adapted interactions between human perceptions and beliefs.However,the perception and attitude towards the forest food were not deeply understood by young people who are always curious or fond of trying new things and represent the fashion.In this study,we tested the young people's perceptions of forest food consumption in two different cultures as well as the important contributions of the forest food to dietary quality.We examined youth attitudes toward consuming the wild forest products through an online survey which was conducted among the young people from two research sites i.e.Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University,China(Shaanxi Province,Yangling District)and Tashkent State of Agrarian University,located in Toshkent,Uzbekistan.A total of 169 respondents participated in the study,78 from China and 91 from Uzbekistan.The finding of research work revealed that young peoples from both countries thought that forest food are healthy and safe for consumption.Similarly,more than 50% of respondents from both the countries perceived that forest food are highly nutritious and preferred to eat it as organic products.On the other hand,less than 40% of respondents from both countries recorded that forest food are not essential for life.Respondents from both countries also agreed on the multi-functionality of forest food such as rural poverty alleviation,as a source of income,as an alternative occasional food,and as a dietary supplement and medicinal use.Results of the study also revealed that young people who did not participate or have a negative perception about forest food were either lack of knowledge,limitations or some regulations that limited their access to forest food.This research work can provide a basis for further multifunctional studies regarding the forest food and involving the youth to understand the importance of forest food and to contribute to food safety,security and reduce the poverty level in rural areas.