Concern regarding the decline in the knowledge and use of indigenous green vegetables exists in many southern African regions including Swaziland. Reasons for this are, amongst others, attributed to a lack of inter-generational knowledge transfer, the influence of westernisation and changing food values and attitudes, as people nowadays regard indigenous green leafy vegetables as a low status food. It is imperative that knowledge of these foods be documented before it is lost to future generation. Indigenous green leafy vegetables have long been considered healthier options than the many recently introduced western-orientated foods, which are closely linked to chronic lifestyle diseases.
The aim of this study was to determine, describe and compare the knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables among two generations of rural Swazi women from the Eluyengweni community, and how it manifests in their food practices. Studies on indigenous green leafy vegetables in Swaziland are limited. This study will fill the knowledge gap in this field.
The human ecological perspective was adopted as theoretical perspective and an explorative mixed method approach was followed. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions with younger (25-45 years) and older (over 45 years) women. Face-to-face structured interviews provided quantitative data on the knowledge the women had of indigenous green leafy vegetables, including their procurement, preparation, preservation and consumption patterns. The convenience sample comprised 102 respondents. Observation was done concurrently during both phases of data collection and photographs accompanied comprehensive field notes.
It transpired that the availability of indigenous green leafy vegetables had declined in the community and those that were available were not easily accessible as they were located on the outskirts of the community. In spite of changes in the physical and natural environment, some indigenous green leafy vegetable species are still available in summer. It is clear that the older women, in comparison to their younger counterparts, had more knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables in terms of identifying them, where they are found and how they are used. Familiar and available indigenous green leafy vegetables such as imbuya (Amaranthus), chuchuza (Bidens pilosa) were preferred, and consumed fairly regularly. Although indigenous green leafy vegetables were still part of the food practices in this community, their consumption among the younger generation had declined. However, due to factors related to modernisation, economic influences and technological advancement the majority of both the younger and older participants seem to have become dependent on, and often include, western-orientated food in their food consumption patterns.
Based on the results, recommendations are made to capture and preserve the knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables in this community and to revive interest in these vegetables and promote their consumption.
Daar is 'n besorgdheid oor die afname in kennis in die gebruik van inheemse groen blaargroentes in baie streke in Suider Afrika, insluitend Swaziland. Redes wat hiervoor aangevoer word, is onder andere, die gebrekkige oordrag van kennis van een geslag na die volgende, die invloed van verwestering asook 'n verandering in waardes en houdings aangesien mense inheemse groen blaargroentes deesdae as 'n lae status voedsel beskou. Daarom is dit noodsaaklik dat kennis oor hierdie voedsel gedokumenteer word voordat dit verlore gaan vir die nageslag. Inheemse groen blaargroentes word gesonder geag in vergelyking met Westers-georienteerde voedsel, wat op hul beurt nou geassosieer word met kroniese lewenstyl siektes.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes van twee geslagte landelike Swazi vroue van die Eluyengweni gemeenskap te bepaal, beskryf en te vergelyk asook hoe dit manifesteer in hul voedselpraktyke. Studies oor inheemse groen blaargroentes in Swaziland is beperk en hierdie studie dra by om die leemte in kennis in hierdie studieveld te vul.
Die menslike ekologiese perspektief is a teoretiese perspektief gebruik en 'n verkennende gemengde metodologie is as navorsingsbenadering gevolg. Kwalitatiewe data is deur middle van fokusgroep gesprekke met beide die jonger (25-45 jaar) en ouer (ouer as 45 jaar) vroue ingesamel. Met behulp van gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude is kwantitatiewe data oor die kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes ingesamel wat die verkryging, voorbereiding, preservering en verbruikspatrone van hierdie groentes ingesluit het. 'n Geriefssteekproef van 102 respondente het aan die studie deelgeneem. Waarnemings is gedurende beide fases van die data insameling uitgevoer en fotos en volledige veldnotas is ingesluit.
Dit is duidelik dat die beskikbaarheid van inheemse groen blaargroentes in hierdie gemeenskap afgeneem het, en dit wat beskikbaar was, was nie maklik toeganklik nie, omdat dit aan die buitewyke van die gemeenskap gelëe was. Ten spyte van die verandering in die fisiese en natuurlike omgewing is sommige inheemse groen blaargroentes steeds beskikbaar gedurende die somer. Dit is duidelik dat die ouer vroue, in vergelyking met die die jonger vroue oor meer kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes beskik het met betrekking tot die identifisering, waar hulle groei en hoe om hulle te gebruik. Bekende en beskikbare inheemse groen blaargroentes soos gewone misbredie (Amaranthus) en knapsakkerwel (Bidens pilosa) was voorkeur groente en is redelik gereeld gebruik. Alhoewel inheemse groen blaargroentes steeds deel vorm van die voedselpraktyke in hierdie gemeenskap, het die gebruik daarvan deur die jonger geslag afgeneem. As gevolg van faktore soos modernisering, die ekonomie en tegnologiese vooruitgang het die meerderheid van beide die jonger en ouer geslag afhanklik geword van westers-georienteerde voedsel en dit dikwels in hulle eetpatrone ingesluit.
Die resultate van hierdie studie het bygedra dat aanbevelings oor die vaslegging en bewaring van die kennis oor inheemse groen blaargroentes in hierdie gemeenskap gemaak kon word, asook om 'n oplewing in die belangstelling in die gebruik daarvan te bevorder.
