The Wildbiome Project is a series of citizen-science studies on the effects of eating only wild food. This includes effects on the human body, our gut microbiome and, from the data we collect, we can also look at areas such as the sustainability of foraging, or its role in areas such as farming diversification and food biosecurity.
The project involves foragers harvesting and eating only wild food for a set period – usually 1 month or 3 months. They track their daily intake using a special wild food nutrition app called EatWild.app From this we can extract data about what and how much of each species people ate. We can also analyse the nutritional value of their diet, referencing a wild food nutritional database assembled over the last 20 years. Their progress can be tracked on our dedicated Instagram channel @wildbiomeproject
Volunteers come from within the foraging community. The first study was a year-long experiment by myself Mo Wilde and Matt Rooney 2020-2021. The next study, in Spring 2023, was volunteers from the Association of Foragers – a members organisation that supports those teaching foraging and a sponsor, and the tests were sponsored by ZOE Nutrition. The Spring 2025 study included non-members who had a reasonable prior experience of foraging and was self-funded by volunteers. The Autumn 2026 study that takes place in September 2026 will follow the Spring 2025 model.
Results so far have shown improvements in inflammation, blood pressure, metabolic health, cardiovascular health and obesity, while there are indicators – to be studied further – that indicate there may be improvements in a range of other issues: notably sleep, period pain, hay fever, asthma and mood. Many participants also record a deeper connection with nature, a shift to a mindset of abundance and great pleasure in the community aspects of taking part. But some also find it tough going and we learn just as much from those who find it challenging.
A published journal paper on the 2021 to 2023 results has been published in an Elsevier journal.
Wilde, M., Rooney, M., & Webb, M. (2025). The Availability of Wild Food in Central Scotland and the Human Health Impact of Its Exclusive Consumption in Two British Studies. In Wild Edibles and Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 187-209). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. Link
The 2025 results are in progress for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
We have started working collaboratively with wonderful partners at the University of Bradford. Dr Julia Beaumont (the Bradford Tooth Fairy studying isotopes) and Dr Hannah Koon from the School of Archaeological and Forensic Science who studies fascinating things like pathological collagen in the nutritionally stressed. Unfortunately we were not successful in getting funded for a 2026 study but are reapplying for a funded 2027 project. In the meantime, they have been looking at isotopes in the hair of past participants.
This sounds not only fascinating but potentially of great practical use. I hope you can give us more details.
I love this idea but think it’s a shame all of the data is being shared with people who will no doubt try and make money out of it, which will in turn make wild food into some kind of business for profit, meaning that for people who wish to continue foraging for free and for health, they will have to pay or may be stopped from foraging in certain areas etc etc…quite a short sighted view to bring big businesses into it when we all know people are greedy and will no doubt take what is meant for the masses and make it only for the few. Sorry to be so down on what otherwise is an amazing project but it’s just kind of giving away our secrets and folklore and history and freedom and ability to live a different life to the one fed to us. It won’t be long before they try to take it over and sell to back to us.
I think those people who want to make money out of wild food are already doing so. Supplying restaurants, gin companies, breweries, etc. ‘Big business’ would be too worried about an unpredictable supply chain and commission a farmer to grow anything that was wild on a commercial scale.And the commodification of the word ‘wild’ has already happnened. Our history as foragers, is already an open book – hundreds of them published – and hundreds of people teach foraging nowadays. So for me, studying what we do and sharing data is not playing into the hands of big business, but progressing science and the understanding of nutrition in a field that is sorely neglected and potentially important to our national food security.