Healthy People, Healthy Planet: The Connection Between Climate Resilience, Biodiversity, and Nutrition for a Sustainable Future

In 2015, during the Alaçati Herb Festival in Turkey, a wild herb collector’s competition was held, rewarding the participant who gathered the most wild edible plant species. Contestants were required to identify each plant and explain its culinary or medicinal use. In Turkey, wild plants continue to be harvested and eaten as salads, fried, or roasted, while others are valued for their healing properties. The competition’s winner, Ms. Nuran Erdem, collected an impressive 104 plant species, which she proudly showcased: “Some aren’t in season – otherwise, I could have gathered even more,” she remarked.