Indigenous peoples - Slow Food International

Chumbi: A New Indigenous Led Slow Food Community is born in Ecuador.

11 July 2018

Chumbi is the name for a traditional fabric made by indigenous peoples in Ecuador, representing a variety of symbols that communicate and transmit knowledge, science and histories from generation to generation. The Chumbi is worn as a belt, around the middle of the trunk, and is said to enhance vital energy. This icon of Ecuador’s …

Kenya Indigenous Terra Madre Network: Looking Towards the Future

2 July 2018

Following the International Council meeting in Kenya, the Slow Food Indigenous Terra Madre network held a meeting and workshop to analyze the challenges facing indigenous communities in Kenya, and to discuss possible solutions and strategies for encouraging and empowering indigenous youth to defend and promote their food heritage.

Saving the Islands with Food Gardens

4 June 2018 Carlo Petrini

With village-grown roots, fruits and vegetables, Leo Nainoka is fighting against the fast food and industrial products invading Fiji. The activist and Slow Food coordinator in the Fiji islands is encouraging the creation of rural food gardens and teaching villagers the importance of eating local fruits and vegetables.

Shirley Djukurnã: Keeping the Heritage of the Indigenous Krenak People Alive

18 May 2018

“Indigenous peoples want things to change, but if we all work together we can make a difference” Her name alone carries with a deep meaning: one whose soul does not age. Her face beams with pride and passion while she tells the story of her people. Shirley Djukurnã is a strong woman, proud of her …

Slow Food stands in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines

15 March 2018

Slow Food and the Indigenous Terra Madre networks are deeply concerned for the security and liberty of several Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights Defenders in the Philippines following a petition filed in court and made public last week by the government seeking to declare them as “terrorists and outlaws”. Slow Food President and Founder, Carlo Petrini …

Slow Food and IFAD take the lead: Indigenous crops bring climate solutions for farmers in Brazil’s Caatinga

8 February 2018 IFAD

Longer dry seasons and unpredictable rainfall are having a serious impact on the farming communities in the Caatinga biome, in north-eastern Brazil.
Against this background, IFAD has focused on reducing rural poverty. Part of that work is to develop the production of indigenous crops. IFAD is working with its local partner the Government of Bahia, Slow Flood Brazil, local farmers’ organizations and technical assistance providers.

In harmony with the landscape: A trip to Northern Thailand to explore traditional farming and land management

5 February 2018 Lee Ayu Chuepa and Nutdanai Trakansuphakon

In this article we will take you to Northern Thailand to explore an ancestral practice called rotational farming. Last November we held a workshop that sought to address the question: How can we encourage indigenous youth to maintain traditional knowledge for local food innovation based on rotational farming and agroforestry? We took the workshop participants into the forests and fields around Hin Lad Nai village and learned about the natural and cultural heritage of the landscape.

Land grabbing: An urgent issue for indigenous peoples around the world

25 January 2018 Francisco Luis Prieto

About 2.5 billion people around the globe, including 370 million indigenous people, depend on land and natural resources that are held, used, and managed collectively. This means that one third of the world’s population is vulnerable to dispossession by more powerful actors. As stated by the “Land Rights Now” campaign, indigenous peoples protect more than …

Dark days for Kenya’s nomadic herders

15 January 2018 Samson Ngugi

The Bisanadi National Reserve is a wildlife reserve in Isiolo County, Kenya, adjacent to the Meru National Park, home to lions, elephants, cheetahs, white rhinoceros, buffalos and over 400 species of bird. Water for the animals is provided by the Tana Rojewero rivers, though a recent drought has put great pressure on animals and people …