Wednesday, 5 February 2025 5th Biological Evening: Ethnobiology of Wartime: The Role of Wild Plants in Food Security

You are invited to the 5th Biological Evening titled "Ethnobiology of Wartime: The Role of Wild Plants in Food Security."

The lecture will be given by Naji Sulaiman, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Applied Botany at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy.

The event will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, February 12.

About the lecture: Wild food plants (WFPs) have been an important source of human nutrition since ancient times, and they particularly revive when conventional food is not available due to emergencies, such as natural disasters and conflicts. Nearly 60% of the Syrian population (12.4 million people) are food insecure due to the current war. The presentation focuses on the conflict’s effect on the use of WFPs and on what species are consumed by local people during the current crisis. The study documents 75 wild food plant species used for food and drink.

About the lecturer: Naji Sulaiman is an Assistant Professor of environmental and applied botany at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Italy. As an ethnobotanist, his research primarily focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East regions. He has a PhD in Tropical Agrobiology and Bioresources Management from the Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, where he also earned his Master’s degree in Tropical Crop Management and Ecology. He completed his Bachelor’s studies in Agricultural Engineering at Tishreen University in Latakia, Syria. In recent years, his research concentrated on the relationship between people and wild plants under turbulent and warfare conditions.