Leveraging Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Access to Nutrient-Rich Indigenous Foods to Help Achieve SDG 2: An Analysis of the Indigenous Foods of Sauria Paharias, a Vulnerable Tribal Community in Jharkhand, India

Ghosh-Jerath, Suparna; Kapoor, Ridhima; Singh, Archna; Downs, Shauna; Barman, Satabdi; Fanzo, Jessica

doi:10.3389/fnut.2020.00061

Cited by 20 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Many of the IFs reported in the study were found to be rich sources of proteins, vitamins and minerals especially iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. The rich nutrient content of IFs consumed by Indian tribal communities have also been documented in other studies ( 23 , 40 , 45 , 67 , 68 ). A study on IFs of the Munda tribal community has documented consumption of some of the nutrient rich IFs in their routine diets.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…The community however, reported the historical cultivation and consumption of pearl millet, finger millet, little millet, and sorghum in the region. A similar trend on consumption of limited variety of cereals and diminishing consumption of diverse coarse cereals is observed in other tribal communities of Jharkhand as well as across India ( 23 , 40 , 57 ). Loss of coarse cereals like millets from the habitual Indian diet have been reported to have substantially reduced iron intake in the population, particularly in states where rice has replaced coarse cereals ( 58 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Apart from cereals, the community also reported routine consumption of indigenous GLVs, roots and tubers, pulses and/or flesh foods; similar dietary patterns have been observed in other tribal communities of Jharkhand (40,45,57,66). Many of the IFs reported in the study were found to be rich sources of proteins, vitamins and minerals especially iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Secondary data on nutrient analysis: * ( 43 ); ∧ ( 45 ); # ( 23 ); $ ( 44 ) . β Scientific name cited from secondary sources ( 28 , 30 , 40 – 45 ) and € additionally verified from ( 46 , 47 ) . ** All the foods listed in the table have at least one nutrient content per serve between 10 and 19% or >20% of RDA for Indian adults ( 49 – 51 ) .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The listed IFs were identified through their common names as well as photographs and verified by an ethnobotanist in the team, who has extensively worked on taxonomic classification of Munda tribal foods (28,30,(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47). The nutritive value of these identified IFs were searched in the Indian food composition database and other secondary literature (23,40,(42)(43)(44)(45) and were collated. IFs with no secondary data on nutritional values, were collected from field sites and sent for analysis to a food testing laboratory accredited with National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).…”

Section: Study Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Traditional Food Environment and Factors Affecting Indigenous Food Consumption in Munda Tribal Community of Jharkhand, India

et al. 2021

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Indigenous food (IF) systems, derived from natural ecosystems are perceived to be sustainable and nutritionally adequate. Mundas, an indigenous tribal community in Jharkhand India, are surrounded by rich agroforestry resources, yet display high levels of malnutrition. Our study explored the food environment of Munda community, different IFs they accessed, levels of utilization of IFs in routine diets, their nutritional attributes and factors influencing IF consumption. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted in nine villages of Murhu and Torpa blocks in Khunti district, Jharkhand. Using focus group discussions and key informant interviews, we did free-listing of IFs known to the community. This was followed by enumerating preferred and little used/historically consumed IFs, along with reasons. Qualitative enquiries were recorded and transcribed verbatim; data were coded and analyzed using thematic framework approach. The listed IFs were identified through common names and photographs, and verified by ethnobotanist in the team. The nutritive values of identified IFs were searched in literature or nutritional analysis of specific plant based foods were undertaken in an accredited laboratory. The community demonstrated traditional ecological knowledge of several IFs (n = 194), which are accessed from wild, cultivated and built food environments. Taxonomic classification was available for 80% (n = 156) IFs, out of which 60 foods had nutritive values in secondary literature and 42 foods were analyzed in laboratory. Many IFs were rich in micronutrients like calcium, iron, folate, vitamin A and C. Among the listed IFs, only 45% were commonly consumed, while rest were little used/historically consumed. Factors like desirable taste, satiety, perceived nutrition benefits, adaptability to climate variability, traditional practice of food preservation and their cultural importance promoted IF consumption. However, local climatic impacts on agroforestry systems, easy access to foods bought from markets or distributed under government food security schemes, and promotion of hybrid seeds by local agricultural organizations, emerged as potential barriers. Thus, reinforcement of traditional ecological knowledge and informal food literacy, along with promotion of climate resilient attributes of IFs, can contribute to sustainable food systems in Munda community.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%