Seasonal Bushmeat Hunger in the Congo Basin
Edmond Dounias1, Mitsuo Ichikawa2
1UMR5175 CEFE, IRD-CIFOR, Campus CNRS 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. edmond.dounias@ird.fr.
Ecohealth
|July 15, 2017
Summary
Seasonal hunger in Congo Basin rainforests stems from a lack of bushmeat, impacting well-being and trade. This psychocultural craving, despite balanced diets, poses food insecurity risks.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Anthropology
- Food Security Studies
- Psychocultural Health
Background:
- Tropical rainforests offer diverse food, unlike Sudano-Sahelian regions facing food shortage.
- African forest communities experience seasonal hunger due to bushmeat procurement challenges.
- Bushmeat is culturally significant, and its absence impacts well-being despite adequate nutrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate seasonal bushmeat hunger among Congo Basin forest peoples.
- To analyze the physiological and psychological impacts of bushmeat deficiency.
- To assess the role of bushmeat craving in food insecurity and trade dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Nutritional anthropology studies conducted among Congo Basin forest communities.
- Analysis of dietary patterns and procurement of food resources.
- Assessment of psychological stress and physiological changes related to food intake.
Main Results:
- Bushmeat hunger leads to weight loss and psychological stress, even with balanced diets.
- This "bushmeat hunger" is a psychocultural phenomenon causing mental health issues.
- Unsatisfied craving for bushmeat is a significant factor in food insecurity.
Conclusions:
- Psychocultural bushmeat hunger negatively impacts individual well-being and community health.
- The intense desire for bushmeat hinders efforts to substitute it with other meat sources.
- Conservation initiatives must consider the psychocultural importance of bushmeat to be effective.
Keywords:
Bushmeat tradeCongo Basin forest dwellersConservationCravingFood insecurityHungerMeatMental healthMore Related Videos
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