Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area "Sierra Grande de Hornachos" of Extremadura (Spain)

Abstract

Natura 2000 is a network of protected spaces where the use of natural resources is regulated through the Habitat Directive of the European Union. It is essential for the conservation of biodiversity in Europe, but its social perception must be improved. We present this work as a demonstration case of the potentialities of one of these protected areas in the southwest (SW) Iberian Peninsula. We show an overview of the catalog of native wild plants of the place, which have nutritional and edible properties, having been used in human food by the peasant local population over the last century, and whose consumption trend is being implemented in Europe mainly through the haute cuisine and ecotourism sectors. What is offered here is a study of the case of what kind of positive contribution systematized botanical or ethnobotanical scientific knowledge can make toward encouraging innovative and sustainable rural development initiatives. A total of 145 wild plants that are potentially useful for leading tourism and consumers toward haute cuisine, new gastronomy, enviromentally-friendly recipes, and Natura 2000 Conservation are retrieved. The methodology used for our proposal is based on recent proposals of food product development and Basque Culinary Center initiatives.