Researchers from the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FACEN) at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción have published a guide documenting the traditional use of wild food plants by Mbya Guaraní communities in the department of Itapúa. The publication, titled "Guía de plantas silvestres alimenticias de los Mbya Guaraní de San Rafael," compiles knowledge passed down through generations about plant species used for food and aims to preserve ancestral knowledge and highlight Paraguay's biocultural heritage.
The material records 38 plant species traditionally used as food, including fruits, roots, leaves, sprouts, and other plant parts collected from various natural environments. Among the identified species are pindó, guembé, pakurí, guavira, ñangapiry, arasá, and several varieties of inga, as well as other lesser-known plants that are part of the traditional Mbya Guaraní diet.
Each entry contains botanical information, names in the Mbya Guaraní language, photographs, descriptions of the environments where the species grow, and details about how they are used for food. The publication serves as a reference tool for researchers, educators, and indigenous communities themselves.
The study was conducted in communities located within and around the San Rafael National Park Reserve, one of the most important remnants of the Bosque Atlántico del Alto Paraná (BAAPA), considered among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The guide also warns about the threats the region faces due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and other landscape changes—factors that impact both biodiversity and the availability of species traditionally used by indigenous communities.
One of the standout aspects of the project was the active participation of community leaders and traditional knowledge holders from the Pindo'i, Pindoju, and Arroyo Morotĩ communities, through prior consultation and informed consent processes. The authors emphasized that the knowledge compiled is part of the collective intellectual heritage of the Mbya Guaraní people and stressed the need to strengthen dialogue between science and traditional knowledge to help conserve biodiversity, food security, and cultural diversity in Paraguay.
The research was carried out by María Idalicia Vera Jiménez, Marcelo Dujak, Bonifacia Benítez, Pamela Marchi, Mariana Martínez, and Sara Núñez Meza, as part of a project funded by CONACYT through the PROCIENCIA Program, with support from the Fondo para la Excelencia de la Educación y la Investigación (FEEI).