Transforming Weeds to Edible Vegetables: An Alternative Sustainable and Ecofriendly Approach to Weed Management

Agriculture ecosystems and biodiversity are a global issue of great importance, because the management of unwanted plants like weeds is essential for optimizing agricultural productivity of feeding huge population and maintaining biodiversity. The proliferation of uncontrolled weeds could lead to a significant decline in the global output of crucial crops. Meanwhile, intensive and continuous use of pesticides, herbicides, and/or tillage to control weeds have harmful impacts on both the environment and the long-term productivity of farms. Regarding this matter, transforming weeds into edible vegetables (TWEV) could be an ecologically sound approach to weed management, ensuring sustainable food and nutrition security. This chapter has included pertinent material to raise awareness among different stakeholders about certain overlooked weeds, which have the potential to be a viable source of nutrition for some individuals, such as ivy gourd; tripatri leaves; spiny amaranths; sorrel, haicha, takshak, etc., while others may not recognize their value. The lack of awareness in this area can be addressed by conducting comprehensive research on the recent surge in the popularity of the foraging movement, as well as its historical foundations in food. Simultaneously, it is crucial to acknowledge the delectable and fragrant qualities of numerous weeds, apart from their sustainability benefits. The objective is to utilize the transforming weeds into edible vegetables (TWEV) method to reintroduce the public to the nutritious plants in our surroundings by creating a delicious and visually appealing dish mostly made from weeds. To achieve this, it has become necessary to implement policy changes that encourage consumers to view weeds as edible vegetables for ensuring the future food and nutrition security of humanity in future.