2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Improvement of food environment based on local biocultural diversity in rural communities of Japan

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	20H04397
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 64060:Environmental policy and social systems-related
Research Institution	Forest Research and Management Organization
Principal Investigator	Furukawa Takuya 国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員等 (40772116)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	松浦俊也国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員等 (00575277) 鹿内彩子青森県立保健大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (20758825) 関山牧子国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 環境リスク・健康領域, 主任研究員 (90396896) 小柳知代東京学芸大学, 現職教員支援センター機構, 准教授 (80634261)
Project Period (FY)	2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Keywords	食環境 / 生物文化多様性 / 山菜 / 木の実 / 郷土料理 / 食文化 / 伝統的知識
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We examined the relationship between biocultural diversity and the food environment in mountainous communities in Japan. Elderly households had a higher proportion of local food self-sufficiency and frequency of collection, whereas younger households accessed local foods via gifts from neighbors. Wild vegetables and nuts contained diverse minerals and vitamins. The overall number of wild vegetable and nut species being used has declined since the post-war period due to changing lifestyles, degradation of the natural environment, land abandonment, decline in commercial value, and changes in accessibility. Adults' knowledge of wild vegetables and the richness of their eating experience (number of species) were influenced by their current frequency of collecting and eating and their childhood collecting experience. Our literature review found that local traditional cuisine and food can be used as a subject for a wide range of nutrition and environmental education topics.
Free Research Field	生態学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	日本の農山村における山菜・木の実の利用は戦後期と比較すると種数は低下したが、現在も盛んに利用され、栄養面でも地域に貢献していることが示唆された。山菜・木の実利用の食文化を継承するには幼少期を含めた利用経験の確保が重要であることが示された。特に、祖父母世代と同居・近居しておらず、摂食機会が少ない子どもについては、地域住民の協力を得ながら学校教育における食育・環境教育の題材として活用していくことが有効であると考えられた。