Ethnobiology: Role of Indigenous and Ethnic Societies in Biodiversity Conservation, Human Health Protection and Sustainable Development

Ethnobiology is a new discipline studying the knowledge and traditional practices of the indigenous and ethnic societies of world in conservation and use of biodiversity for human health and nutrition and using that knowledge for bioprospecting and biodevelopment. Diverse ethnic societies occupy a large areas on the earth especially those which are rich in biodiversity and there is an intimate relationship between the ethnic diversity and biological diversity. India also has a large population of ethnic people called ‘tribals’ living in forests and remote areas. The book has reviewed the wide variety of wild food and medicinal plants used by the tribals and the traditional societies of India. A several of them were unknown to the modern society. Some of them are very promising as a source of food and medicine for the future to fight some of the deadly diseases plaguing the civilisation and eradicate poverty and hunger. Our modern knowledge in biotechnology can use these biological assets of the ethnic people and their knowledge for huge socio-economic gains and for the benefit of the civilization for a better human health and nutrition and for the sustainable development of the human society.