Pathways of Climate Change Impact on Agroforestry, Food Consumption Pattern, and Dietary Diversity Among Indigenous Subsistence Farmers of Sauria Paharia Tribal Community of India: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Climate change poses severe threats to the social, cultural, and economic integrity of indigenous smallholder subsistence farmers, who are intricately linked with their natural ecosystems. Sauria Paharia, a vulnerable indigenous community of Jharkhand, India, are smallholder farmers facing food and nutrition insecurity and have limited resources to cope with climate change. Eighteen villages of Godda district of Jharkhand inhabited by Sauria Paharia community were randomly selected to conduct a mixed methods study. In 11 out of 18 study villages, we conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) to examine the perception of this indigenous community regarding climate change and its impact on agroforestry and dietary diversity. In all 18 villages, household and agricultural surveys were conducted to derive quantitative estimates of household food consumption patterns and agroforestry diversity, which were triangulated with the qualitative data collected through the FGDs. The FGD data revealed that the community attributed local climatic variability in the form of low and erratic rainfall with long dry spells, to reduced crop productivity, diversity and food availability from forests and waterbodies. Declining agroforestry-produce and diversity were reported to cause reduced household income and shifts from subsistence agricultural economy to migratory unskilled wage laboring leading to household food insecurity. These perceptions were supported by quantitative estimates of habitual food consumption patterns which revealed a predominance of cereals over other food items and low agroforestry diversity (Food Accessed Diversity Index of 0.21 ± 0.15). The adaptation strategies to cope with climate variability included use of climate-resilient indigenous crop varieties for farming, seed conservation and access to indigenous forest foods and weeds for consumption during adverse situations and lean periods. There were mixed views on cultivation of hybrid crops as an adaptation strategy which could impact the sustained utilization of indigenous food systems. Promoting sustainable adaptation strategies, with adequate knowledge and technology, have the potential to improve farm resilience, income, household food security and dietary diversity in this population.

Indigenous Foods to Address Malnutrition: An Inquiry into the Diets and Nutritional Status of Women in the Indigenous Community of Munda Tribes of Jharkhand, India

“…3. Food Accessed Diversity Index: For assessing agroforestry diversity at the HH level, the HH survey data on total number of foods accessed from cultivated and wild food sources were used to obtain the Food Accessed Diversity Index (FADI) ( 11 , 45 ). This index was calculated by dividing the total number of foods grown, gathered, or accessed (excluding market foods) as well as animals raised in a particular HH by the corresponding maximum possible number of foods grown, gathered, accessed, and raised in a particular village ( N ).…”

Riverine food environments and food security: a case study of the Mekong River, Cambodia

“…These environments are particularly important for increasing access to nutrient-rich foods, including animal source foods, leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits, 19 and can increase resilience of households to shocks. 20 , 21 Rivers act as wild food environments from which food (fish and edible aquatic plants) is procured, 22 but also as cultivated food environments where staple crops are grown. The riverbanks can serve as informal built food environments (habitual wet markets and mobile fish vendors) as well as formal built food environments where restaurants are situated.…”

Health sector solutions for promoting sustainable and nutritious diets

“…For example, the Indian state of Jharkhand has a sizable number of smallholding farmers belonging to the marginalized indigenous group Sauria Paharia. 28 Climatic changes have resulted in long dry spells in the region, affecting their traditional food production practices and making them more vulnerable to starvation and hunger.…”

“…Such effort will also help preserve disappearing cultural heritage and knowledge systems and give increased attention to indigenous communities that are some of the world’s most climate vulnerable populations. For example, the Indian state of Jharkhand has a sizable number of smallholding farmers belonging to the marginalized indigenous group Sauria Paharia 28. Climatic changes have resulted in long dry spells in the region, affecting their traditional food production practices and making them more vulnerable to starvation and hunger.…”