Indigenous Plant-based Diets, Nutritional Security, and Sustainability: Evidence from Katghora Forest Division
Poonam Xess *
Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, (C.G.), India.
Animesh Shukla
Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, (C.G.), India.
Garima Tiwari
Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, (C.G.), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Indigenous plant-based foods are important components of traditional diets in forest-dependent communities and contribute to nutritional security, cultural continuity and sustainable resource use. This study was conducted to understand the dietary practices of women in relation to food and nutrition security and sustainability through indigenous practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 521 women from seven ranges. The study highlights local consumption of plant-based foods. A total of 20 tuber species and five root species belonging to different botanical families were recorded. The average annual consumption of wild fruits was 1.69 ± 0.02 kg/year, with the highest intake reported in the Katghora range and the lowest in the Pali range. Roots and tubers formed the largest share of plant-based consumption in Katghora Forest Division, with an average intake of 10.83 ± 0.03 kg/year. The findings indicate that green leafy vegetables, wild fruits, roots and tubers remain important dietary components among women in the study area, while wild fruits are consumed in smaller quantities. These consumption patterns reflect the role of forest-based foods in the local diets of women in Katghora Forest Division. Women follow traditional ecological knowledge to conserve forests and meet their daily food requirements from forest resources. The study also highlights that women collect plant-based foods from forests using non-destructive harvesting techniques, indicating that sustainability is maintained. The nutritional diets of women in Katghora Forest Division are healthy and balanced. Food security and the sustainable use of resources indicate that acknowledging and properly documenting women's traditional ecological knowledge may support a nutrition-sensitive approach to indigenous food resources and help enhance nutritional security and sustainability.
Keywords: Indigenous foods, plant-based diets, nutritional security, dietary diversity, tribal women, traditional ecological knowledge, non-timber forest products, sustainable harvesting, forest-dependent communities, roots and tubers.