For millennia, Indigenous peoples have cultivated diverse, adaptive and evolving food systems, rooted in deep relationships with land, water and ecosystems. Their traditional knowledge embeds agroecological principles, emphasizing balance with nature, circularity and intergenerational equity.

Beyond managing and preserving some of the world’s richest ecosystems, Indigenous peoples are custodians of countless landraces and ancient species — from finger millet in the Himalayas, to açaí in the Amazon, and fonio in West Africa — each representing an underutilized reservoir of nutrition, climate resilience and environmental sustainability.

Despite this, too often, Indigenous peoples are left out from the very systems meant to nourish and support communities. 

At the global level, since 2021, the U.N. Food Systems Indigenous Peoples’ Coalition has been key to embedding Indigenous leadership in food systems governance. By fostering direct dialogue with policymakers, scientists, and funders, the coalition helped to amplify voices, build capacity and enable meaningful influence over food systems global discussions.

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The path to resilient, nourishing and just food systems is one that Indigenous peoples have been walking for millennia.

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