Indigenous Food Systems Hold the Key to Breaking the Cycle of Malnutrition

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By Myrna Cunningham

December 03, 2024

Between 2000 and 2013, the consumption of ultra-processed products grew by more than 25% and fast food consumption grew almost 40% in Latin America. More than a decade on, from this rapid change in the region’s foodscape, we are seeing the alarming impact this has had on the health and well-being of the region. Indigenous communities have been particularly hard hit as their traditional food systems have been overshadowed by relentless marketing for processed foods and government-led policies and programs that popularize these foods in everyday life. 

The community-wide impact of today’s modern food system is creating a cycle of hunger and malnutrition that traps Indigenous communities in poverty. When malnourished women become pregnant, their bodies are unable to provide the babies with the nutrients they need to thrive. This can lead to physical and cognitive delays that last a lifetime, impacting the child’s ability to do well in school, earn an income, and fully participate in society. For these children, the cycle of malnutrition continues when they have their own children. 

Ending malnutrition in Indigenous communities is possible. To do so, we must publicly recognize and elevate their collective identities and create an enabling environment where traditional knowledge and food systems can thrive. 

Acknowledge Land Rights

One of the most important steps we can take to elevate Indigenous food systems is to ensure the legal rights of Indigenous communities to their land. Land is the foundation for a flourishing food system, yet Indigenous lands are under continuous threat. Commercial development, new agriculture technologies that promote cash crops, and dumping toxic chemicals and waste all threaten the biodiversity and fertility of Indigenous lands, which in turn will impact the long-term health and nutrition of these communities.

During the era of colonialism, many communities were removed from the territories where they cultivated their Indigenous crops. Over the centuries, many have adapted and found new crops to integrate into their diets or found ways to make their staple foods thrive in new environments. These sustainable growing methods, and the nutritious recipes these foods create, are passed down from generation to generation. Without legally-binding land rights, Indigenous communities cannot prepare the food in the ways that they’ve been taught and will turn to ultra-processed foods. 

Shift Policies & Programs to Celebrate Indigenous Foods 

There are many policies and programs that can be tweaked slightly to better elevate and celebrate Indigenous food systems. For example, throughout Latin America, school feeding programs are not typically based on traditional foods. This exposes Indigenous children to foods that may not be healthy and creates normalcy around these foods, while Indigenous recipes are othered. Instead, school feeding programs could source products from local farmers and use them to make traditional foods. This would promote the local food system, connect children with something so important to Indigenous cultures, and ensure that they are being properly nourished. 

In Mexico, an organization I served on the Board of Directors of called The Hunger Project is working with Indigenous communities to adapt the Mexican government’s El Plato del Buen Comer, or Healthy Eating Plate, to include each community’s staple crops, most of which are grown locally. This effort to localize a national policy helps families better understand how to eat a balanced meal. 

By taking a critical look at how policies and programs are promoting different food systems, we can identify opportunities to elevate Indigenous food systems. 

Elevate Women’s Role

A final, and probably one of the most important, steps to tackling malnutrition in Indigenous communities is to elevate the role of women in the food system. For many Indigenous cultures, women are traditionally seen as the guardians and transmitters of knowledge and values. Women reproduce the values and traditions of their cultures within their families, and their empowerment is crucial to survival. This is not meant to be a romantic view of Indigenous cultures—many grapple with toxic masculinity and patriarchy—but these cultures have a more holistic view of the world and rely on collective decision making. 

Working with communities to revive that sense of women is important to ensuring that they feel empowered to access resources and education, particularly around healthcare and nutrition. For example, traditional Indigenous midwives’ knowledge and contributions are routinely overlooked and undermined by national health systems. Instead, we should be supporting these women, learning from their knowledge, and ensuring that they are able to support their patients in getting access to the most up-to-date information and practices. 

Malnutrition in Indigenous communities is a problem we must tackle. We must break the cycle it has created so that there are opportunities to thrive. By acknowledging, elevating, and celebrating the contributions of Indigenous food systems and practices we will make significant progress and reverse much of the damage done within these communities. 

Myrna Cunningham is an Indigenous activist and medical surgeon from Nicaragua. She was formerly on the board of directors at The Hunger Project.