A Guide to Foraging Ethically and Sustainably
Most people think foraging is a perfectly sustainable way to acquire food regardless of the process.
How could it not be, right? You’re literally picking plants from the ground… no carbon footprint, no genetic modifications, no pesticides, no worries, right? Well not quite. There is something you should worry about: harvesting invasive vs. native plants.
Although foraging is almost guaranteed to be better for the environment than most other ways to source food, it is still important to educate yourself on the most sustainable way to execute the process. If you think about it, learning to identify wild edibles is the most difficult barrier when it comes to learning to forage, so if you’ve already done that, then looking up whether the identified plant is invasive or native is only one small step further. And it is quite possibly the most important step, especially if your reasons for wanting to forage are along the lines of wanting to help the earth or your community.
For the purposes of this blog, which is based out of Hawai’i, I will be focusing on invasive and native plants in the Hawaiian Islands, predominantly O’ahu. However, I encourage you to do research on which plants are invasive vs. native in your area— these days, we have a wealth of resources at our fingertips so it shouldn’t be difficult.
Why is learning about invasive vs. native plants important?
I’ve come across a lot of people that have the mentality that foraging for any plant is a morally sound practice— and I’ve even heard people assume that it’s better to forage for natives. Unfortunately, it's not that straightforward. Due to cultural and environmental reasons, it’s much better for the land to harvest invasive plants. Native plants help to contribute to a delicate ecosystem, and in some cases, it may be considered disrespectful to the native culture to harvest certain native plants.
The reason why it’s so important to learn about invasive vs. native plants is that each plant we identify ultimately comes from a unique ecosystem. Every ecosystem depends on a delicate balance of unique plants and animals to thrive. Humans have done much damage in many ways, but the negligent spreading of invasive species has caused an astronomical amount of extinctions. So we have plants out of place, why is that so important?
O’ahu’s unique ecosystem is the one with which I’m most familiar, so I’ll use that as an example. One of the reasons the ecosystem on O’ahu and in Hawai’i in general is so unique is because of the aquifer system. The plants that are endemic to O’ahu sort of act like sponges in that they can store and capture a lot of water. So when we get heavy rains, the multi-layer canopy of native trees, mosses, and ferns help to slow the flow of the water until it’s ready to either drain or evaporate. When we have less of these native plants in place and the land is overtaken by invasive plants, the massive amounts of rainfall can more easily cause erosion of the topsoil, which in turn causes natural disasters such as landslides and flooding.
What can we do to help preserve native forests?
The most helpful thing you can do is to plant native plants. There are conservation groups (such as Protect and Preserve Hawai’i or Aloha Tree Alliance) that focus on planting natives, or if you own property (or rent from a lenient or socially conscious landlord) please consider taking the time to plant natives in your yard.
Not all of us are in a position to volunteer often or to own property, but most people I know say they enjoy hiking (at least on their Tinder profiles). So if you ever hit the trails, the simple act of eating invasive plants while you hike is an effective way to do your part to help the ecosystem. Whether you live in Hawai’i, the continental United States, or anywhere in the world, you can do your part: simply eat the invasives (and don’t touch the natives).
Generally speaking, this is the best rule to live by. Once you learn how to identify plants, looking up whether they are native to your area is only a small step further.
This brings me to my next point: culturally significant plants.
There are some plants that are endemic or native to Hawai’i that are considered culturally sacred. It is never okay to even touch these plants. In addition to being native and culturally sacred, a lot of these plants are endangered which adds another layer to how wrong it is to bother these plants. Sometimes humans can be carriers of invasive species, eggs, seeds, fungus, or bacteria that can harm them, so it is best to tread lightly and admire from a distance.
One area of nuance is culturally significant plants that are NOT native to an area. In Hawai’i, these plants include things like kalo (taro), kī (tī), ‘ulu (breadfruit), ‘uala (sweet potato), kukui (candlenut), and many more. These plants were brought to Hawai’i by early Polynesian settlers and sustained life on the islands for many years, and many of these plants are mentioned in chants or legends that are spiritually important as well. This is why it’s important to learn the culture of whatever area you’re foraging in as well; unless you’re indigenous, it’s probably best to stick to foraging invasive plants.
Lucky for us, a lot of invasive plants cause harm to the native and culturally significant plants they surround. Harvesting invasive plants is beneficial to the environment, the ecosystem, and the culture. So harvest as much as you can! The goal is to remove as many invasive plants as possible, just make sure you don’t spit the seeds out while you’re hiking— that will in turn further aid in invasive seed dispersal.
To summarize, the best way to forage ethically and sustainably is to simply only forage invasive plants. By sticking to this one general rule, you’ll be doing something that not only helps the environment, but also you and your community! A lot of invasive plants not only have amazing nutritional and medicinal benefits, you’ll also be getting some exercise and Vitamin D while harvesting. And you’ll save money on groceries. Talk about a win-win situation!