The Ărramăt Project has joined forces with the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), becoming its latest member.

Indigenous governments and organizations, researchers and allies from universities, NGOs and global institutions came together in 2020 to seek funding and resources for Indigenous-led research about the urgent crisis of biodiversity decline and its implications for the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples.The Ărramăt team includes 150+ people, is gender diverse and is Indigenous led (over 60% of our Team is Indigenous). 

As the secretariat, FAO continues working with 19 Indigenous Peoples organizations and research centers to co-create knowledge and provide evidence about the uniqueness of Indigenous Peoples to generate food insustainable, resilient, and biodiversity-protecting ways through elaborate food systems, proving that producing food without destroying the environment is possible and offering lessons for all.

The Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts, scientists and researchers to establish a knowledge-dialogue that will gather evidence-based contributions on Indigenous Peoples' food systems. The Global-Hub is a tool for Indigenous People to  inform policy discussions  and research agendas on food security, biodiversity and climate change at local, national and regional level ensuring that indigenous peoples knowledge and rights are at the center and that their food systems are valued and protected. By working horizontally and vertically in knowledge sharing, the Global-hub will support the well being of indigenous peoples and the preservation of their ancestral territorial management practices and food systems that have feed indigenous peoples for centuries while preserving 80% of the remaining biodiversity in the planet.

The members of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems drafted the White/Wiphala paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, which received inputs from numerous contributors, including Indigenous peoples, research centres, Universities, UN Agencies and other stakeholders, who have been working closely with Indigenous peoples and their food systems.   

The White/Wiphala paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems is the result of collective work by Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and experts, scientists, researchers, and UN staff. Over 47 different units, organizations, and institutions have contributed to the Paper from the seven socio-cultural regions. This final version of the White/Wiphala paper has been coordinated by the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems and edited by a Technical Editorial Committee, and summarizes the main points received.

This Paper advocates that lessons can be learnt from Indigenous Peoples’ approach to food, which will contribute to the resilience and sustainability of food systems worldwide, as well as supporting the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. In this vein, this Paper provides evidence on the sustainability of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, including the ways in which they have proven resilient over time. The Paper articulates the importance of respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights to ensure the preservation of their foods systems, and the value this can add to tackling emerging challenges that face mankind.

Read the papers here: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb4932en/