Exploring the Potential of Indigenous Foods to Address Hidden Hunger: Nutritive Value of Indigenous Foods of Santhal Tribal Community of Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Traditional foods of indigenous communities can be explored as a sustainable means of addressing undernutrition. Our study aimed at identifying indigenous foods of the Santhal tribal community of Godda district of Jharkhand, India, assessing their nutritive value, and appraising their potential role in addressing hidden hunger. A cross-sectional survey using qualitative methods like focus group discussions with women of childbearing age (15–49 years), adult males, and elderly people was conducted for food identification. This was followed by taxonomic classification and quantitative estimate of nutritive value of the identified foods either in a certified laboratory or from secondary data. The community was well aware of the indigenous food resources in their environment. More than 100 different types of indigenous foods including a number of green leafy vegetables were identified. Taxonomic classification was available for 25 food items and an additional 26 food items were sent for taxonomic classification. Many indigenous foods (more than 50% of which were green leafy vegetables) were found to be rich sources of micronutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin A as beta carotene, and folate. Maximizing utilization of indigenous foods can be an important and sustainable dietary diversification strategy for addressing hidden hunger in this indigenous community.

Traditional Food Environment and Factors Affecting Indigenous Food Consumption in Munda Tribal Community of Jharkhand, India

“…The community however, reported the historical cultivation and consumption of pearl millet, finger millet, little millet, and sorghum in the region. A similar trend on consumption of limited variety of cereals and diminishing consumption of diverse coarse cereals is observed in other tribal communities of Jharkhand as well as across India ( 23 , 40 , 57 ). Loss of coarse cereals like millets from the habitual Indian diet have been reported to have substantially reduced iron intake in the population, particularly in states where rice has replaced coarse cereals ( 58 ).…”

“…NA, Not available; ND, Not detected; ¥ Laboratory analyzed; a Retinol expressed in μg/100g for animal foods . Secondary data on nutrient analysis: * ( 43 ); ∧ ( 45 ); # ( 23 ); $ ( 44 ) . β Scientific name cited from secondary sources ( 28 , 30 , 40 – 45 ) and € additionally verified from ( 46 , 47 ) .…”

“…The tribal communities in India are a good example of indigenous populations, having their own rich cultural and social traditions and unique indigenous food systems ( 23 ). Jharkhand, a central eastern Indian state known for its rich biodiverse agroforestry ( 24 , 25 ), is home to several indigenous tribal communities that constitute 26.2% of the state's population ( 26 ).…”

Review on contribution of indigenous food preparation and preservation techniques to attainment of food security in Ethiopian

“…It is recognized that indigenous foods and dietary diversity within an ecosystem can be powerful sources of nutrients and benefits human health (Ghosh-Jerath, Singh, Magsumbol, Kamboj, & Goldberg, 2016). Despite this fact, the use of indigenous foods has declined due to the negligence of the potential of these foods in modern commercialized and industrialized markets and lack of investment in research and development.…”

Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area "Sierra Grande de Hornachos" of Extremadura (Spain)

“…Experimental studies on women have demonstrated the influence and significance of a wild vegetable diet in folate levels, and similar nutritional parameters [30] and specific reviews have focused on the adolescents of developed and underdeveloped countries. [31] Traditional indigenous foods have been studied to evaluate their levels of micronutrients [32], and the suitability of wild vegetables for alleviating human dietary deficiencies has been addressed [33]. Specific studies of plants that have been traditionally consumed in Spain [34] have also been made.…”