Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems
Over millennia of adaptation to different environments, Indigenous Peoples have developed a deep knowledge of and respect for the ecosystems in which they live. This knowledge is evident within the wide variety of practices and activities that constitute the bases of their food and knowledge systems, such as fisheries, pastoralism, hunting, shifting cultivation, and gathering.
Indigenous Peoples often take a holistic approach towards food generation and production, the preservation of biodiversity, and the preservation of their cultural heritage. It is therefore imperative to recognize the interdependence of Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems: an intricate relationship exists between their sustainable practices, their rich cultural traditions and the innovations that Indigenous Peoples deploy in the face of modern challenges, such as climate change and changing seasonal patterns.
The Indigenous Peoples Unit is leading FAO’s work on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems by supporting knowledge co-creation through the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, and by profiling Indigenous Peoples’ food systems across the world.
Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems
The Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' food systems is a space of co-creation of knowledge, in which academic and Indigenous Peoples' knowledge on food systems are blended and are given the same level of respect and consideration.
In relation to FAO mandate
Indigenous Peoples' food systems are an area of work of particular relevance to FAO’s mandate, rooted in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the UN Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition, the Sustainable Food Systems Framework, the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and its outcomes, the UN Decade on Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) and the Decade on Family Farming (2019-2028).
Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems
The White/Wiphala paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems
01/01/2023
This White/Wiphala paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems is the result of collective work by Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and experts, scientists,...
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Indigenous Peoples’ food systems: Insights on sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change
01/01/2021
This publication provides an overview of the common and unique sustainability elements of Indigenous Peoples' food systems, in terms of natural resource...