Planet Earth is facing severe
ecological crisis because of Globalization, Global Warming, and overconsumption
of natural resources, revolution and over population in global society.
Indigenous people around the world are trying to preserve the ecological
balance of the environment and guide us by providing information on the
Bio-cultural model which helps to preserve the food system (Analysis of a model designed for land restitution in
protected areas in South Africa, 2011). Indigenous people deliver an
insight view about the use of the local economies and practices on land
management. Aboriginal people are also depicting how to maintain the spiritual
relationship with nature and promote biodiversity conversation. All these
factors work as the guideline for living a healthy life-style.
Bio-cultural framework is the model,
which works as the lens to see the disease and embodiments. This framework
enables scientists to depict the reason behind the increasing rate of illness
and disease. The Bio-cultural Framework has been developed to get précised
understanding about the food habit of the particular region.
According to Barndt (2009) WGIFS has
developed the Indigenous Food System Network Website; the website is designed
in such a way, which contains information about the individual aboriginal
people in the food related action, policy and research. The Medicine Wheel is another tool, which is
used for the Bio-cultural Framework. It has four quadrants (Health, Economies,
Generations and Youth, sustainability), which represent the balanced
interconnection between the four factors.
Documentation of the
traditional food system of Pohnpei, (2005)
has depicted that Indigenous Food system depends upon several other factors
like fertility of land, quality of land, weather or climate of the particular
region. The growth of the crops is depending on these factors; the vast numbers
of rivers, landforms, climatic zones, vegetations, watersheds are shaping the
food system for thousands of years. These factors help in shaping the food
habit of the indigenous people. Food habit is based on the Bio-cultural model
of the particular region. Indigenous food system consists of the land, water, air, soil and culturally
important plants. On the other hand, Doyle (2007) stated that Animal and
Fungi species determine the food system of the indigenous people for thousands
of years. Beuchat (2007) depicted that Bio-cultural framework has no impact on
the food habit of the indigenous people and with the help of the technical
developments; people of one place are able to learn about the food habit of
other places.
Food habit of people significantly
depends upon the level of energy a human body needs. Every part of the food
system of indigenous region is inseparable and the ideal function of the
Healthy interdependent relationship is to transfer energy. Indigenous foods are
cultivated primarily and people are taken care of it. Later it is harvested,
preserved, prepared and traded to the other regions. Kuhnlein (2009) opined
that changing in food habit has increased the demand for different indigenous
food habit. Often it is seen that indigenous food habit is limited in the
boundary but recently it has crossed all the boundaries and reached in other
region. Spigelski (2009) said that indigenous food system has maintained a
traditional way of cultivation and food system.
By the virtue of Erasmus (2007)
Indigenous people are showing great concern towards preserving the food system
and ecological balance. Since the time of the colonizers, aboriginal people are
facing heath related issues. There is a drastic decline in the health of the
aboriginal people. To sustain the health condition, indigenous people are
focusing on cultivating homegrown foods.
It is a healthier habit to intake homegrown foods.
Furthermore, as stated by Stepp
(2002) apart from this indigenous people are also concentrating on effective
use of resources. Selective fuel wood extraction is become the prime concern of
the indigenous people. With the blessing of science, we have already explored
many fuel sources but wood is still used by many people of rural sides.
Aboriginal people need wood for cooking, warmth and smoking meats. Fuel wood is
the necessary for the rural people, who are living in the shantytowns. With the
help of the indigenous practices, they are trying to preserve the fuel wood for
future use.
According to the opinion of Wyndham
(2002) in southern part of African Savana, aboriginal people have developed
communal woodlots and harvested the fuel wood in sustainable manner. Many
villagers of this place have revealed the new method to avoid the damage in the
eco-logical system of environment. People understand that cutting the specific
parts of the plants for firewood has affected the regeneration of trees.
Regeneration is also affected due to the fewer gaps between the plantation time
of the trees and harvest time of the trees.
In accordance with zarget (2002),
careful consideration is needed for undertaking a holistic approach with which
biology is associated. Indigenous people have understood the negative impact of
harvesting fuel wood without thinking so they used fuel wood properly.
Government is also worried about the fuel wood so government should think over
the matter.
On the contrary, Wong (2010) depicted
that
Indigenous Peoples’ Bio-cultural Climate Change Assessment Initiative or IPCCA
is developed with the aim of providing empowerment to the indigenous people so
that they can also adopt them with the climate change. While adopting the
changes, bio-cultural framework plays a significant role. An indigenous bio-cultural approach is being
developed by the IPCCA in order to conduct necessary assessments of climatic
change and associated risks for aboriginal community. This approach is
evaluated with a motif to create an interconnected world where socio-culture,
biophysical and spiritual elements are playing vital role for maintaining
resilience.
IPCCA has taken an initiative on the
climate change and the indigenous steering community drives this initiation. The
Food Sovereignty Movement has built around the world and there is no universal
definition of Indigenous Food Sovereignty.
This approach is considered as the new and innovative approach to
achieve the long-term food security (Dube, 2004). With an intention to address the underlying
issues and the ability to respond towards the needs for the culturally adapted
and healthy indigenous foods, the indigenous food sovereignty can be considered
as the innovative approach.
The health of the indigenous people
is maintained fruitfully with the help of the Food Sovereignty Policy approach,
which have lowered the suffering of the people from chronic disease such as
cardiac disease, diabetes etc. according to the current statistical report, it
has been overviewed that around 19% of indigenous health gap is subjected to
diet related causes in Australia. However, in remote indigenous communities of
Australia almost 20% of the youth or middle-aged people have been perceived
that they do not consume fruits daily and almost 15% people do not have
vegetables regularly (Indigenous women and the United Nations system, 2006).
From the overall discussion of the
paper, it can be excavated that Bio-cultural framework attributes a lot in the
Indigenous Food system largely. Food Sovereignty Movement is also beneficial
for the indigenous food system and it helps to maintain the health of the
aboriginal people. Local foods are good for the health and indigenous people
have understood the need of the local food systems. Bio-culture framework first research on the
topic and then takes action; later the Bio-cultural Framework also monitors the
entire work. Different workshops are organized to teach the indigenous people
about the bio-cultural diversity.
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