Although growing international recognition of forests’ role on food sovereignty for forest-dependant populations, large amounts of medicinal and highly nutritious plants are disappearing due to deforestation. This is the case of Benin, where 12% of the households have lost food sovereignty, 38% of medicinal plants have vanished and malnourishment is prevalent. An article from The Guardian highlights a research that aims to protect and wisely use nutritional plants for forests peoples in Benin, which are mostly under threat by commercial agriculture and mining. Benin has set a precedent by becoming the first country in Africa to pass a law that protects sacred natural sites.
See full article at:http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jul/01/benin-forest-food-security-nutrition
