Wild edible fruits of Mozambique: Biodiversity hotspots and priority species for food security and sustainable development

Societal Impact Statement Wild edible fruits (WEFs) are an important but underutilised resource for improving food security in sub‐Saharan Africa. In Mozambique, many rural communities rely on these fruits to supplement diets, generate income and cope with periods of food scarcity; yet national‐level knowledge of their diversity has been lacking. This study provides the first comprehensive inventory of WEFs in Mozambique and identifies species and regions of the highest socio‐economic and ecological importance. By highlighting priority taxa and biodiversity hotspots, our findings support evidence‐based conservation, sustainable harvesting and added‐value use of indigenous fruits, with implications for policy, rural development and resilient food systems. Summary This study aimed to document and assess the diversity, distribution and importance of wild edible fruits (WEFs) in Mozambique, addressing a major knowledge gap in one of Africa's most diverse yet under‐documented countries. WEFs play a key role in nutrition, livelihoods and ecosystem conservation but remain largely overlooked in national food systems. We compiled data from more than 30 years of field surveys, herbarium records, published literature and online databases to produce the first national inventory of Mozambican WEFs. We analysed growth forms, modes of consumption, eco‐geographical distribution and conservation status and developed a Weighted Importance Index (WII) integrating socio‐economic, cultural and ecological attributes. We documented 282 WEF taxa, with Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Malvaceae as the most represented families. Areas of the highest diversity occur in the Southern Swahili coastal forest and woodlands. High‐importance taxa include Garcinia livingstonei , Sclerocarya birrea subsp. afra , Strychnos spinosa , Trichilia emetica , Vangueria infausta and Ximenia afra . Our findings provide a baseline for identifying indigenous fruit diversity, priority taxa and areas requiring further ecological, ethnobotanical and socio‐economic investigation.