Wild Edible Plants as Underutilized Agro-Biodiversity in Albania: Traditional Knowledge, Use, Among the Adolescents

Wild edible plants (WEPs) are an important but underutilized component of agro-biodiversity, providing nutrient-dense food, raw materials, and cultural value, yet across the Mediterranean and the Balkans the traditional knowledge that underpins their use is eroding as rural lifeways change. This study documented WEP knowledge, use practices, and the channels through which such knowledge is transmitted among adolescents in Albania, and assessed the relative nutritional value of the most commonly used species. We combined a cross-sectional questionnaire completed by 520 respondents with an ethnobotanical literature review and a synthesis of nutritional data for 15 widely used species. Most participants (78.8%) were aware of wild plants in general terms, but fewer than half used them personally (40.4%) and only about a third could identify species in their local environment (34.6%). Knowledge transmission had shifted from family tradition to digital media (50.0% versus 38.5%), and household use (63.5%) greatly exceeded personal use, indicating that practical skills are being lost between generations. The reviewed species showed high relative nutritional value, with several, such as stinging nettle, exceeding common cultivated greens in key micronutrients. The findings depict a generation that remains culturally aware of its wild-food heritage but is increasingly disconnected from the practices that sustain it. We argue that conserving WEP-related agro-biodiversity in Albania requires integrating traditional food-plant knowledge into agricultural extension, education, and community initiatives before it is lost.