A dimension within Local Food Sustenance
This theme focuses on the use of forest products, ancient foods, and natural remedies as part of an indigenous, traditional diet and lifestyle.
150 voices speak to this
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Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
Drawing strength from ancient customs and the jungle's bounty, our community thrives by living independently and preserving traditional foodways for future generations.
In remote mountain forests, a community navigates daily life, preserving ancient crops and adapting cultural traditions amidst evolving times.
By cherishing and utilizing the traditional foods and herbs found in our forests and lands, we can sustain ourselves and combat malnutrition while preserving our natural heritage.
We are tribals who worship nature, depending on its plants for our health and sustenance, while maintaining traditional farming with zero irrigation.
Before, we used to eat saag roti, kurthi dal, urad dal, and mahua saag. Sometimes we would find amla and bael from the forest, and that's how we used to sustain our lives.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Ans - In ancient times, people used to bring tubers, leafy vegetables, fruits, and roots from the forest and eat them. They also ate boiled leafy vegetables. Village - Kutiguda Name - Devendra Madkami
— Champa Gatan · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
Traditionally, we used to use various types of medicinal properties from the forest.
— Suna majhi
In earlier times, we used to get medicine from the forest.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
We tribals are completely different from other castes; our ancestors used to live in forests and sustained themselves by eating fruits, flowers, etc., from the forest.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We Adivasi communities are communities that depend on nature, collect roots and tubers from the forests, and use them as food, which is very nutritious and also serves as medicine.
— Ram Kumari
We used to eat greens from the forest, including Madhuranga greens, Nautia greens, Marisa greens, and all those other types of greens.
— Sanjukta Arukh · Tamando, Khordha, Odisha
We get various types of fruits and roots from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
We tribals cut down forests to build our homes and live in the forest itself. From the forest, we get roots, flowers, and delicious fruits, and we sustain our lives from them, and we also do farming.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We indigenous people used to eat roots and tubers from the forests and sustained ourselves with them. These also served as medicine, keeping our bodies healthy. Even today, we should use roots and tubers.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our community lives by building homes in the forests, hunting wild animals, and sustaining themselves by eating tamarind, mango, guava, and other produce found in the forest. Thus, they belong to a different way of life.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We get various greens and various fruits from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha
Tribal people used to build homes after cutting down forests and used herbs, fruits, and food from the forest. And they used to drink Chuwada water. That's why tribal people are different.
— Chanda
Living in the forest and enduring hardships, whether it is building a home to use herbs for treating illnesses, or making a living by eating fruits and flowers, or for this.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Earlier, we used to eat mahua from the sarai in the jungle and sustain our lives. No fertilizer was used at all. Our bodies also remained healthy. Everyone used to be strong and robust, and lived for a long time.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The Makadia tribe's life and livelihood depend on the forest. They live by gathering and selling fruits, flowers, roots, medicinal herbs, and mushrooms from the forest as food. They respect whatever their elders say. When food in one forest runs out, they move to another forest.
— Anirudha Marai
We used to live in our nature with the forest, happily bringing forest produce. We would all eat and live together. You were climbing.
— sudhir gamanga · Gadiakhala, Ketalugurha, Rayagada
Even now, fruits, flowers, healthy herbs, and medicines from the forest are being used by us, including the tribal community.
— ishwarsabar · Chelema, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
In ancient times, in previous eras, people collected nutritious foods like ragi, millet, etc., from the forest, ate them to stay healthy and strong, and lived for a long time. If farmers or tribal community people cultivate those essential crops of those ancient times again, it will guide them towards the development of their life's values in the future.
— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Our tribe lives in the forest, far from villages and cities, and for food, they eat mahua, dori, koyna, this street, etcetera, kola.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In ancient traditions, when people had any health problems or diseases, they would use medicinal roots and herbs found in the forest to get well.
— Suna majhi · Gopalpur, Rayagada, Odisha
We are the people of earlier times who used to eat mahua from the forest, eat chakad shak, eat millet bread, eat corn bread. Now people eat good food, and because they eat good food, they catch so many diseases.
— Sunita Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We are all tribal people, we live in forests. We collect our food from the forests. With that, we sustain ourselves. This is indeed our life's goal.
— KusaPradhani · Anakabadi, Rayagada, Odisha
Ans -In ancient times, people used to go to the forest, collect forest products, and sell them. Name -Bhaga Madkami Village -Pramilapadar
— Champa Gatan · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
In ancient times, various types of forest products were available. And many rare fruits, that was very difficult, but now we also try.
— Padmalochan Majhi
We used to gather forest products like mahua, cook them, make cakes, and eat them in the forest. Even now, we will learn from our ancestors.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha
Tribal people generally live in forests, live in hills, eat forest products, so they lead a different life from ordinary people.
— Kunakanta Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
Residents in the forest bushes have a business of various medicinal plants, and they benefit from it for food.
— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
My tribal people, living in the forest far from the city and making food from forest produce.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In ancient times, we easily survived on the fruits and medicinal properties found in the forests. However, if we look at today's situation, humans need financial support...
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Tribal people often live in forests and eat many things that we don't know.
— Chanda
We tribal people bring herbs from the forest to treat many diseases, for the well-being of people.
— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh
In our ST community, everything has changed for the people of this district. Before, we used to bring tamarind, mahua, and all kinds of forest products to eat and drink.
— Puspanjali Nag
We are tribals, we are nature worshippers. We always depend on trees and plants to live. We sustain our livelihood by eating its tubers, fruits, and roots.
— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha
Forest-derived food includes fresh bamboo shoots, bamboo sago, and Kendu fruit, among others. We obtain our food from the forest.
— S Guruteli · Upperpur, Malkangiri, Odisha
Obtaining food by hunting wild animals in the forest, eating fruits and flowers, and growing grains.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
My name is Rashmita Pradhan. Just as our ancestors remained healthy by eating fruits and roots found in the forest, prepared without chemicals, we also wish to eat the same food now. We are from tribal-dominated areas. Our forest is our lifeline. Therefore, our ancient traditions should be restored, and our forest should not be destroyed. Thank you. Raika Kandhamal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
We get our nutritious diet from the forest, such as Mahua fruit Doli oil in the form of fat, Kodo, Bhaddi, Kulthia, Mahua flowers, Jamun, Mahua kheer, Bhaji, etc.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Forest food collection
— Suna majhi · Kulusingi, Rayagada, Odisha
From the forest, we also get many things as vegetables, such as
— Kekti Tekam
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.
“What are the key determinants that define your tribe, talk about how your tribe is different from others?” · “What are the most nutritive locally available forest foods which should be included in the PDS and Mid Day Meal and promoted by the Government?” · +7 more
“What are the Just Transitions pathways, considering Livelihoods, and Inclusive Economies?”
“If you had a Magic wand that could change, add or remove anything from Thiruvanmiyur Mada Veedhi, what would it be?” · “What do you like the most about Thiruvanmiyur Mada Veedhi?”
