Food, fields and forage: A socio-ecological account of cultural transitions among the Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh in India

Abstract

Traditional food systems of many ethnic communities in India directly depend on their symbiotic relationship with the surrounding natural resources and the local socio-ecological and cultural dynamics. However, in the light of development activities resulting in drastic socio-ecological changes, these communities are oftentimes found stranded with over-simplified and unsustainable food systems. Using an ethnographic methodology, we present the case of Gaddis – an agro-pastoral community of Himachal Pradesh in India. In this paper, we documented the on-going trade-offs in traditional livelihoods of the Gaddis and their land use patterns that cause a significant transition in the traditional food systems. Based on our observations, we argue that mapping the shifting political ecology of resources enables a better understanding of transitioning food systems and the consequent eco-cultural changes. While doing so, we emphasize the need for revisitng the existing praxis of tribal development in India with an urgent focus on holistic socio-ecological approaches.

Dynamics of indigenous community’s food and culture in the time of climate change in the Himalayan region

“…The majority of the research were carried out in the Himalayan region viz. in India [36,21,25,28,[32][33][34][35], Nepal [13,20], India and Nepal [22], China [15,16], Pakistan [14], Bhutan [23], Myanmar [24], Canada [26,27], Spain [17], Europe [29], Portland [19], Mexico [30], Joint research in Sweden, US, UK, and Japan [18], Nigeria [31], as shown in Table 1. Studies incorporated for the systematic analysis were based on the traditional community's traditional eating practices and the impact of climate change on indigenous people.…”

“…Further, in a traditional society, dietary habits depend on the familiarity and naturalness of food [29], customary norms [30], and taboos in indigenous communities [31]. Thus, the socio-cultural norms and beliefs system is imperative for environmentally sustainable practice [28,32,33].…”

Puhals: Outlining the Dynamics of Labour and Hired Herding among the Gaddi Pastoralists of India

“…It is clear from the above situation that hiring a puhal not only is restricted to the elite herd owners but also is emerging as a necessity to continue transhumant pastoralism amidst the external challenges that are either the consequences of shifts in agrarian practices of the region or are policy driven (Ramprasad et al 2020). It is observed that the settled Gaddi population located the region is increasingly shifting to crop cultivation, mainly in their winter homes at Kangra and to horticulture at their villages in Bharmour (Malhotra et al 2021). A duality in the residence and livelihood practices thus plays an important role in determining the labour dynamics within Gaddi pastoralism.…”

“…Along with that, it involves prolonged isolation periods away from home and in the wild that demands high levels of mental and emotional stability. The demanding nature of this job, apart from the external pressures, also includes dealing with the changing weather conditions, negotiating with the settled communities and traders, medical emergencies and natural calamities makes it a tough livelihood choice, more so, in the current times when the development discourse of modernity and urban lifestyle promoting sedentarisation is heavily imposed by the authorities and gradually internalised by the community members (John and Badoni 2013;Malhotra et al 2021). Following this, a shift in the aspirations of the educated youth of the community who are increasingly shunning the migratory lifestyle that is perceived to be devoid of a sense of stability, personal hygiene, social dignity and public status is creating a huge void in terms of labour.…”

Managing the Energy Transition through Discourse. The Case of Poland

“…In these studies, it is assumed that all transitions follow similar principles and are guided by the same mechanisms. Thus, for example, transformations in agriculture [4], wastewater infrastructure [5], transportation [6,7] or food [8][9][10] are investigated and can be conceptualized in the same way. Such transitions are also sometimes called sustainability transitions and involve changes in socio-technical systems.…”