Indigenous Peoples' Food Diversity and Food Security

Indigenous Peoples globally experience extreme poverty, marginalization and vulnerability which make them among the worst for nutrition and health in any country. However, the wealth of traditional knowledge embedded in food systems can contribute to creation of effective nutrition promotion programs for food security. Our work documented local food systems in 10 groups of Indigenous Peoples living in rural settings in 8 countries (Canada, Peru, Federated States of Micronesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Colombia, India, Thailand) and used 24‐hr dietary data to determine % energy derived from local, often unique foods in contrast to market foods with high energy contents and low nutrient density. Numbers of locally available food species varied from 32 (Maasai, Kenya) to 240 (Pohnpeian, Micronesia); access to market food contributed from 5% to 90% of total adult dietary energy. Diversity in local food species correlated positively with several nutrients and dietary quality. Stunting in children was up to 50% often without low weight/height; adult BMIs varied with obesity prevalence highest with high % energy from market food. In developing nutrition and health interventions for Indigenous Peoples local indigenous food resources need to be incorporated into many activities, with consideration of physical activity and improved knowledge and access to quality market food. (Supported by the CIHR, IAPH and INMD, and FAO)