As for the roots, we make snacks and roots are food staples during lean times. We feed the leaves and roots to our pigs. Information from women, both as farmers and consumers, plays a crucial role in assessing new maize hybrids. In Malawi, for example, it was found that an important element missing from earlier hybrid varieties was the flintiness found in local varieties which made a more satisfactory basic flour for porridge. As a result, newly developed semi-flint varieties have been tested which are more acceptable to women.
Forests are an invaluable resource for women.
Grasses growing beneath the trees serve as fodder for animals, and the wild and semi-wild plants, which form part of the rural diet, often ensure survival in times of famine. In India and southeast Asia, some 150 forest species have been identified as sources of emergency food. In addition, many rural women rely on the income earned from the sale of forest-based products, such as furniture, baskets, mats, medicines, honey and oil. In surveying indigenous knowledge on multipurpose trees, scientists talk to male and female farmers, traders and herbalists about trees, tree products and tree management. Studies show that men and women often select different trees and shrubs for food and other purposes.