Natural resources are one of the key sources of food, nutrition, and income for communities residing in rural areas. Many studies have shown that indigenous and traditional communities are living in harmony with nature and fulfilling their food and nutrition needs from it. One such example is the utilization of wild edible plants (WEPs). WEPs play a crucial role in fulfilling the dietary requirements of communities residing in that area. Therefore, the LANN+ approach focuses on research, sustainable management, and the promotion of such important natural resources.
It focuses not only on documenting and promoting the WEPs and other non-timber forest products, but also promotes the sustainable management of soil, forest, grasslands, and water, which are necessary for strengthening communities’ resilience about the hazards related to climate change and extreme weather events. Effective natural resources management supports not only nutrition improvement but also income generation.  such as using non-timber forest products.

The LANN+ project conducted a study in 2022 aiming to estimate the contribution of WEP in family food and nutrition security and assess their current contribution and explore possibilities for local food system strengthening. The data was collected from three food-insecure northern remote rural municipalities of Dhading district namely Ruby Valley, Khaniyabas, and Gangajamuna from January to March 2022. The study team documented 257 plants in total, of which two-thirds (170) were WEPs and those were further categorized as vegetables (124), fruits (21), and spices (24).
Every interviewed household revealed that they consume WEPs in one form or another and collected mostly from the forest (64 types) and some

From or around cultivated land (44 types) as well  FGD findings revealed that 14% to 28% of meals in a year include WEPs and its share is higher in hilly areas (Ruby valley) as compared to a lower altitude (Gangajamuna areas). Further, the share of WEPs in annual consumption amount (kg/household/year) for spices, fruits, and vegetables are 13.6%, 19.6%, and 17.2% respectively.