By Shawn Stephen, Biodiversity Conservation
October saw Anita, Jyoti, Sumin and Shawn from Keystone journey up to Rome, Italy in order to attend the Global-hub on Indigenous Food Systems, hosted as part of the World Food Forum by FAO. Initiated by the Indigenous Peoples Unit (IPU) at FAO, Global-hub is a think tank that serves as a platform for both academic and Indigenous knowledge systems to share equal space and explore innovative ways of knowledge creation.
Fig. 1: The fire around which we had all our discussions and scrumptious meals. Surrounded by objects of ritualistic significance from various Indigenous Peoples.
The five day conference, held from the 13th to the 17th of October, featured a host of panel discussions and talks by Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Global-hub from all over the world. Each day was themed according to five Indigenous Peoples’ Values for bringing hope: Peace, Reciprocity, Sharing, Solidarity and Caring. All of these talks and discussions were hosted in two conjoined tents pitched on the FAO premises. These structures mimicked the lavvu, a portable conical shelter used by the Sami of the Arctic and represents a space where people gather around a fire to talk and to share meals together. These two spaces anchored the entire event.
Fig 2: Traditional Hornbill Dance being performed by a member of the Dayak community, Indonesia.
The Technical Tent, one of the two lavvus, was dedicated to the nine Drafting Committees established by the Global-Hub. These committees aim to engage, research, and inform relevant stakeholders about pressing issues affecting Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Each committee was provided a space to elaborate on its focus area, discuss key concerns, set timelines, and encourage more volunteers to join their work. Jyotsna was invited to speak about ‘Social Protection for Indigenous Peoples of the NBR’, in which she shared some of the issues and challenges faced by communities with regard to land tenure, forest rights, access to health and education.
Fig 3: Anita shares her thoughts at one of the drafting committee sessions in the Technical Tent.
Some of the Drafting Committees included:
- Global Study on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Security
- Ocean and Freshwater-based Food Systems
- Guidelines for Co-creating Knowledge between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples
- Study on the Impacts of Ultra-processed Food Products on Indigenous Peoples’ Health
Fig 4: A session on “Youth and Knowledge Transmission: Ultra-processed Foods” in the Advocacy Tent with the Nomad FoodLab in the background.
Meanwhile, the Advocacy Tent hosted a series of engaging panel discussions featuring both Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Global-Hub. Each panel brought together multiple speakers who shared perspectives on key themes before opening the floor for wider discussion.
Topics explored included:
- Carbon Markets
- Intergenerational Transmission of Knowledge and Indigenous Youth
- Indigenous Peoples’ Art for Peace
- Fermentation Futures
- Indigenous Fire Management Knowledge and Collaboration
- Indigenous Peoples’ Biocentric and Ecosystem Restoration. Anita was also one of the speakers in this talking circle.
Fig 5 : A time to reconnect with our collaborators from the Indigenous Peoples Observatory Network (IPON)
To the advocacy tent was also attached the NOMAD FoodLab, a kitchen that served to profile and highlight Indigenous chefs and Indigenous food from around the world. Over the five days of this conference, this kitchen freely and heartily fed over 200+ participants Indigenous food from Norway, Ghana, India, Peru and so on. Over the five days of the conference, the kitchen generously served more than 200 participants a vibrant array of Indigenous dishes from Norway, Ghana, India, Peru, and beyond. The aromas alone became part of the experience — though they posed a delightful challenge for both speakers and attendees, who often found their attention divided between the inspiring talks and the irresistible scents being conjured up in the kitchen.
Fig 6: Chefs hard at work in the NOMAD FoodLab.
Fig 6&7: Salmon Soup (L) and Boiled Reindeer tongue and Smoked Salmon ® served with a slice of bread.
This conference also saw the inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum & Network where, for the Indigenous Peoples’ section, Keystone was able to contribute two artefacts to their permanent collection: the Mal Kayir (Honey Ladder) and Bidur Ande (Bamboo Vessel). These pieces are now part of a host of Indigenous artefacts that represent Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems from all over the world. Global-Hub participants had the opportunity to take a quick tour of the museum which featured a series of immersive and interactive experiences. It was truly heart rendering to see a part of the Nilgiris being symbolically and materially featured on such a world stage.
Fig 8: The Keystone cohort outside the Food and Agriculture Museum & Network space.
Five days of sharing space with Indigenous Peoples and researchers working at the forefront of Indigenous food systems, security, and futures proved to be a truly rewarding experience. Events like this reaffirm the importance of creating equitable spaces where Indigenous knowledge systems are granted the same intellectual and material legitimacy that scientific research and implementation methodologies have long enjoyed—often at the expense of the former. Within the context of Keystone’s work with Indigenous communities across the NBR, such spaces also invite reflection on how meaningfully Indigenous Peoples are represented within our own frameworks, and how their knowledge and active involvement informs the methodologies and outcomes that shape each of our programmatic and thematic areas.
