EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

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Dinner in the Congo

Credit & Copyright:  Dr. Bruce G. Marcot
  

Explanation:  Life is harsh here.  Welcome to the central Congo River Basin, here in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central tropical Africa.  There is scant electrical power in this village, and scant running water.  There are no grocery stores or opportunities for much comfort.  Food is scarce and people take to harvesting what they can from the jungle. These boys are on a daily foraging expedition and have collected a bounty of terrestrial snails for dinner.   Here, invertebrates play key roles in the diet, especially in villages or during seasons when fish are not available.  A U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization study found that invertebrates in the diet serve as key sources of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins, and can serve as traditional medicine as well.  So if you recently enjoyed a holiday dinner, ponder how others may have had to forage for meeting bare nutritional needs.     Information:      Marcot, B. G. 2005. The ecological and cultural functions of invertebrates in the Congo River Basin. Wings 28(Spring)(1):13-17. (get PDF here)