Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Response to HLPE-FSN Consultation on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems

Mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples' Food and Knowledge Systems

Indigenous people have long been utilising sustainable practices to address global food security and tackle present-day environmental issues. Such systems, which are grounded in their connection with regional environments, are beneficial for understanding the practices of resources and species conservation (Ford et al., 2020). Mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems can benefit not only Indigenous peoples but also the worldwide agriculture domain as well. Integrated aquatic and terrestrial systems represent ecological and environmentally sustainable systems of food production that are useful in the context of current and projected global food insecurity (FAO, 2023). However, the ultimate beneficiaries must continue to be the indigenous peoples involved within the framework of recognising strict rights. The Coalition on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, founded in 2021, focuses on maintaining food systems based on the broader necessary food systems transformation while foregrounding Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination in these matters (FAO, 2024). Acknowledging that mainstreaming such systems can be benevolent in a way distinct from Indigenous peoples, the overall goal has to be in their service as the rightful owners of this knowledge. For indigenous peoples, their food systems are more than their farm management; they are their way of living and being. According to the Coalition, maintaining these systems is important for guiding change to the global food systems while respecting indigenous sovereignty. Evaluating mainstreaming calls for many precautions, where Indigenous Peoples’ Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) will always be respected. 

Strategies for Safeguarding Indigenous Knowledge While Promoting Global Sustainability

Key lessons related to climate change and food security can be learnt from the Indigenous Peoples' food systems. These practices, including seed protection, use of trees as sources of food and feeds, farming on a rotation system and more, have enhanced the improvement of agroecological systems over several generations. Many of these involve insights for global sustainability that have been given global platforms such as COP27, which sees Indigenous knowledge as an invaluable game changer in climate change adaptation (Kuhnlein & Chotiboriboon, 2022). Nevertheless, it is critical to involve the required minorities adequately, champion sustainability, and prevent these systems from being commercialised. The report should emphasise that marginalised groups must be engaged in any international processes to avoid other people taking advantage and interpreting their knowledge systems in whichever manner they feel pleased. Prescribing competent collaborations with Indigenous peoples and reciprocal knowledge sharing, including the Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, would be productive.

This would enhance the provision of possible solutions, which would help solve global challenges and embrace culture. The report must also address the problem of transforming Indigenous knowledge into commodities, without proper regard for the culture behind those systems (Kom et al., 2024). In this regard, the report should recommend legal instruments to ensure FPIC and ABS compliance on any planned development of the indigenous peoples' ancestral domains. These mechanisms ensure that the Indigenous communities give their permission to use their intellectual property and get paid for it.

Additionally, there is a need to seek cross-cultural understanding to fusion Indigenous knowledge with contemporary practices. Reciprocity for sustainability to be achieved will facilitate understanding Indigenous knowledge as having a spiritual, cultural, and environmental dimension. In this way, the report focuses on how these strategies can strengthen and sustain Indigenous food systems for future generations.

Documentation and Referencing of Oral Knowledge and Traditions

When developing the HLPE-FSN report, Indigenous peoples' knowledge and knowledge transmission processes and practices should, therefore, be recorded in ways that are sensitive to Indigenous peoples and in ways that are endorsed by Indigenous communities. Indigenous languages and forms of knowledge that do not depend on writing should be prioritised as they reflect the cultural value of the transmitted information. One highly useful example is the model of organisation development whereby learners are taken through community-based education programs that incorporate master knowledge bearers. The mentorship approach ensures that the expertise found in hunting, fishing, and the use of medicinal plants is genuine and cutting-edge (Oladele & Amara, 2024). Presenting actual people's knowledge with the use of audio narrations, videos, and participatory discussing tools averts the misrepresentation of actuality with formal written documentation, thus taking the knowledge into different audience spaces while retaining its originality. It is also important that, when archiving said practices, one employs a decolonial method of working. This means that attempts are being made to not fit indigenous knowledge into Western frameworks (Antonelli, 2023). The report should focus on the need to ensure Indigenous people’s participation in the documentation process, making sure that they determine how they want their knowledge to be portrayed. This type of information must be cited very carefully so that the origin and setting of such knowledge can be clearly seen. The efforts of knowledge holders and the communal attribute of Indigenous knowledge must be recognised. 

REFERENCES

1. Antonelli, A. (2023). Indigenous knowledge is key to sustainable food systems. Nature, 613(7943), 239-242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00021-4 
2. FAO, 2023. Consultation on the scope of the report on Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. [online] Available at: https://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe/insights/news-insights/news-detail/consultation-on-the-scope-of-the-report-on-indigenous-peoples--food-and-knowledge-systems/ [Accessed 20 Sep. 2024].
3. FAO, 2024. FAO’s side-event on the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems at the UNPFII. [online] Available at: https://www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/news-article/en/c/1681495/  [Accessed 20 Sep. 2024]
4. Ford, J. D., King, N., Galappaththi, E. K., Pearce, T., McDowell, G., & Harper, S. L. (2020). The resilience of indigenous peoples to environmental change. One Earth, 2(6), 532-543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.05.014   
5. Kom, Z., Nicolau, M. D., & Nenwiini, S. C. (2024). The Use of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Practices to Enhance Food Security in Vhembe District, South Africa. Agricultural Research, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-024-00716-8 
6. Kuhnlein, H. V., & Chotiboriboon, S. (2022). Why and how to strengthen indigenous peoples’ food systems with examples from two unique indigenous communities. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 808670. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.808670 
7. Oladele, O. I., & Amara, A. (2024). Farmers’ use of Indigenous knowledge on climate change adaptation across farming systems and agroecological zones of Sierra Leone. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 20(3), 473-483. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241251862