Survey of the Knowledge of Elderly People Regarding Non-Conventional Food Plant

The acronym PANC refers to all plants that have one or more edible parts, whether they are spontaneous or cultivated, native or exotic, and are not included in our daily diet. Non-Conventional Edible Plants (PANC) are vegetables that have been known and used for many years in indigenous culture, but which have ceased to be prominent today, being underutilized by the population. Brazil currently has one of the greatest biodiversity in the world, however, the plant species used in food are still scarce. However, despite the numerous benefits, it is mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the majority of the Brazilian population, even though some individuals, mostly elderly, associate PANC with their food consumption in childhood. Studies have found that the elderly have a great deal of knowledge about non-conventional edible plants, but doubts and myths about them can be noted, and it is necessary to demystify them. In view of the above, a survey was conducted with the aim of assessing the knowledge of elderly people regarding unconventional food plants, their consumption and cultivation methods. The questionnaire was administered in person to 97 elderly people over a two-year period. The results obtained were calculated as percentages using the Google Sheets tool and compared with interviews conducted by other authors using articles published in online databases. The Scielo and Google Scholar databases were used for the search. Based on this study, we can conclude that most of the interviewees know about and have consumed PANC in some way, but the minority uses them.