Working Group on Indigenous Food Systems

Working Group on Indigenous Food Systems
Name	Working Group on Indigenous Food Systems
Formation	2010s
Type	Collaborative network
Headquarters	Varies
Region served	Global
Membership	Indigenous leaders, scholars, NGOs, institutions
Leader title	Convenor

Working Group on Indigenous Food Systems is an international collaborative network that convenes Indigenous leaders, scholars, and institutions to advance food sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge, and policy influence. The group operates through regional nodes, expert panels, and community-led projects to connect activism, research, and multilateral engagement with Indigenous nutrition, land stewardship, and cultural revitalization.

Background and Formation

The working group emerged from dialogues among participants in United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Convention on Biological Diversity, World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education, Global Landscapes Forum, and gatherings linked to Indigenous Peoples' Summit processes. Early convenors drew on prior initiatives such as Cúmhnant na hÉireann networks, the National Congress of American Indians, Assembly of First Nations, Māori Party affiliates, and scholars from University of British Columbia, Australian National University, University of Otago, University of Auckland, and Harvard University centers focused on Indigenous studies. Funding and logistical support traced to foundations and agencies like Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, International Development Research Centre, and UNICEF regional offices, while legal frameworks referenced instruments such as United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Nagoya Protocol, and regional treaties like the Treaty of Waitangi.

Objectives and Scope

The group's objectives include advancing Indigenous food sovereignty, revitalizing traditional ecological knowledge, informing biodiversity governance, and shaping policy at venues like the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, UNFCCC, and World Trade Organization negotiations. Its scope spans food systems research, seed and crop conservation linked to institutions like Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, community-based health initiatives aligned with Pan American Health Organization programmes, and advocacy at multilateral fora including Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change sessions. The group also addresses intersections with intellectual property regimes exemplified by World Intellectual Property Organization dialogues and regional courts such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Governance and Membership

Governance uses rotating convenors drawn from Indigenous organizations like Sami Council, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Adivasi Tribal Foundation, Māori Council, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and university-based research hubs including Smithsonian Institution programs, Smith College centers, and the University of British Columbia Indigenous Studies Program. Membership comprises representatives from NGOs such as Oxfam, Greenpeace, Rainforest Foundation, Survival International, academic partners like Stanford University, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, University of Cape Town, and policy bodies including World Bank units and regional development banks. Advisory panels include elders and knowledge holders associated with institutions like Museo Nacional de Antropología, National Museum of Denmark, and community organizations such as Moccasin Flats Community Council.

Activities and Initiatives

Activities include participatory mapping projects with partners like Esri and institutions such as International Union for Conservation of Nature, seed exchange networks modeled after Navdanya, school-based nutrition programmes collaborating with Slow Food and Food Tank, and pilot agroecology sites linked to Bioversity International and CIP (International Potato Center). Initiatives span capacity-building workshops in regions involving Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization members, climate adaptation pilots tied to Green Climate Fund proposals, and cultural festivals inspired by events like World Indigenous Games and National Aboriginal Day. The group organizes policy briefings at meetings of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, side events at Conference of the Parties (COP), and symposiums hosted by universities including University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and University of São Paulo.

Research and Policy Contributions

Research outputs encompass ethnobotanical inventories co-produced with institutions such as Kew Gardens and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, nutritional epidemiology studies in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (Mexico), and legal analyses submitted to bodies like the Inter-American Development Bank and African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Policy contributions influenced national strategies in countries represented by Canadian Food Policy, New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (India), and reports to United Nations Human Rights Council and UNESCO on intangible cultural heritage. Peer-reviewed publications appeared in journals including Nature, Lancet, Global Environmental Change, Ecology and Society, Journal of Ethnobiology, and monographs from presses like Cambridge University Press.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Key partnerships involve alliances with Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), Maya Leaders Alliance, First Nations Development Institute, Native American Rights Fund, and research consortia such as Consortium of Universities for Global Health. Collaborations extend to international agencies including Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, UN Environment Programme, and philanthropic partners like MacArthur Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. The group engages with corporate stewardship initiatives through dialogues with multinational firms referenced in United Nations Global Compact processes and certification bodies such as Fairtrade International and Forest Stewardship Council.

Impact and Criticism

Impact includes contributions to policy shifts toward seed sovereignty, inclusion of Indigenous indicators in national reporting to Convention on Biological Diversity, and enhancement of food security programming in regions like the Amazon Rainforest, Sahel, Great Barrier Reef catchments, and Arctic communities. Criticism has arisen from Indigenous activists and scholars associated with Decolonizing Methodologies proponents, critiques published by members of World Social Forum, and legal commentators citing tensions with intellectual property regimes and market-based conservation exemplified by disputes involving Conservation International and World Wide Fund for Nature. Debates focus on representation, funding from foundations such as Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, and the balancing of scientific research with community autonomy, highlighted in panels at IUCN World Conservation Congress and statements presented to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Category:Indigenous peoples organizations