Changements dans les habitudes alimentaires des populations locales : une menace pour la survie des plantes alimentaires au Togo

Abstract

L'alimentation végétale chez l'homme a subi d’énormes mutations dues à l'adoption de régimes alimentaires évolués qui excluent les ressources végétales locales. Une étude ethnobotanique a été menée sur les plantes alimentaires menacées de disparition au Togo en vue de cerner l’impact des changements d’habitudes alimentaires impliquant ces plantes. Cette étude a été menée entre 2003 et 2006 puis entre 2009 et 2010 dans 280 localités distribuées sur toute l'étendue du territoire togolais en tenant compte des 5 zones écologiques et des différents groupes ethnoculturels du pays. Les changements notés dans les habitudes alimentaires des populations locales concernent la disparition, la modification totale ou partielle de composantes d’anciens menus, la modification de la quantité, defis moments, de la fréquence des "repas", et l’indifférente vis-à-vis des fruits et légumes sauvages. Ces changements d’habitudes alimentaires menacent la survie de 80 espèces de plantes spontanées et de 40 espèces cultivées dont 15 ont plus de 2 variétés locales menacées. L’inaptitude de la plante à offrir de formes culinaires variées, la méconnaissance des pratiques culinaires propres à certaines plantes, des changements socio-économiques, les brassages des peuples dus aux mouvements migratoires et aux mariages inter communautés sont à la base des changements. Des variétés de sorgho, de maïs, d’igname du haricot sont absentes dans les exploitations. La moutarde à base de graines de néré ou du kapokier, le couscous local à base de variétés particulières d’igname, la sauce à base des graines du coton laine, la potasse traditionnelle liquide faite avec les cendres de chaumes de sorgho et de mil sont des composantes ou formes culinaires devenues très rares. Par contre, d’autres formes culinaires de consommation naguère très localisée, sont désormais consommée dans toutes les zones.

Mots clés : Plantes alimentaires, changements d’habitudes alimentaires, menace de disparition, Togo.

English Abstract
Nowadays, traditional plants are less used for food by human because of more sophisticated eating habits. This is due to adoption of food modes known as advanced in which local plants take scarcely any place. From 2003 to 2006 then, from 2009 to 2010, an ethnobotanical study was carried out on food plants threatened for extinction in 280 localities throughout the 5 ecological zones and socio-ethnic groups of Togo. An interview guide prepared for the occasion was used and data were collected by a multidisciplinary team. Semi-structured interviews coupled with direct field observations in producers, houses and farms, and in market places were used. The information sought was on all crop varieties under little or  no management and / or those no consumed at present, all food species not cultivated whose populations are regressing or are little used today as well as the main causes of non-or under - consumption of these plants. Impacts of food changing practices on the local plants involved in the food habits are determined. The main changes noted in the food practices of the populations are the whole or partial modification of old food components, the modification of quantity, of times, of and frequency meals and the indifferent in relation to wild fruit and vegetables. These changes of food practices involved 80 spontaneous plants species and 40 cultivated species of which 15 have more than 2 local varieties concerned. All these plants are threatened. The large fraction of these endangered wild fruit and vegetables is a concern because of their large use for food and cooking recipes of West Africans in food crises periods. Changings are due to the inaptitude of the plant to offer a varied range of culinary forms, the ignorance of the specific culinary practices to certain plants, the socio-economic changes, mixings of the people due to the migratory movements and the marriages inter communities are at the base of the changes. Varieties of sorghum, corn, yam and beans are rare in the exploitations. Mustard made of seeds of Parkia biglobosa or of Ceiba pentandra, the local couscous made with particular varieties of yam, the sauce of seeds of cotton, the traditional potash with ashes of sorghum and millet culm are components or culinary forms become very rare. On the other hand, culinary forms as Tchakpa, Kablemycine, Lossomycine, Touk, Sodabi, etc. with very localised consumption in olden days, become widely consumed in all the zones of Togo. Being given the importance of these plants for the man and the biodiversity, suitable tracks of improvement of the varieties concerned must be required for the management of the indexed characters which, for the majority, are factors of risks.

Keywords: Food plants, changing of food habits, threats, Togo.