Local farmers, custodians of wild food plant knowledge and uses in the touristified Venice Lagoon

BACKGROUND: The islands of Sant'Erasmo and Vignole, nestled in the Venice Lagoon, are biocultural refugia, where local ecological knowledge (LEK) of local communities, vital for wetland conservation, is being eroded by factors such as rural depopulation, globalization and touristification. This study investigates Local Gastronomic Knowledge (LGK) of Wild Food Plants (WFPs) among farmers and fishers to determine how occupation specialization influences knowledge distribution. It also investigates the ability of farmers to transform LGK into an economic resource by creating (or entering) niche economies, even though being immersed in a touristified and globalized context. METHODS: From 2022 to 2025, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 farmers (Sant'Erasmo and Vignole) and 31 fishers of the Venice lagoon. RESULTS: We documented 39 wild plant taxa, focusing on folk taxonomy, culinary preparations, and sale of WFPs. A significant occupational knowledge gap was identified: 94% of farmers utilized wild plants (with 70% of them also involved in their sale), naming 39 taxa, whereas fishers reported minimal knowledge representing only 10% of the sample (three out of 31 interviewed) and naming 2 out of the 39 documented taxa, confirming that LGK is tied to everyday contact with specific resources. Farmers demonstrated a very specialized knowledge, including 35% of uses previously unrecorded at the regional or national level. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal that LGK among farmers, thus people who live in close connection with the soil and vegetation of the Venice lagoon, is still vivid and it is increasingly economically valued. The study also shows a sharp distinction in the LGK on WFPs between farmers and fishers, revealing a strong knowledge specialization tied to their primary occupation, essential in a context of rural depopulation and touristification, for identifying knowledge hotspots and supporting the resilience of local economies. Furthermore, the economic valorization of WFPs (through their incorporation into local short food supply chains) may further encourage their continued use and LGK transmission. We believe this may empower farmers and facilitate the expansion of WFP markets, shedding light on a positive narrative that sees farmers as active custodians of LGK, rather than as passively subjected to globalization, especially in tourist areas as the Venice lagoon is.