Indigenous Food Security in the Face of Climate Change

Indigenous cultures are often the stewards of areas with the most biologically diverse food crops. Diversity is essential to maintaining food security in the face of changing climates, and yet, indigenous cultures are often the most adversely affected by this change. This paper analyzes the struggles and successes of indigenous cultures in the Americas to maintain food sovereignty in the face of climate change and the influences of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) on more mainstream food systems. By examining existing literature, it is clear that many cultures struggle with food security as a direct cause of climate change. However, many indigenous people have made remarkable adaptations, recently and in the past. These cultures also cultivate underutilized crops which could hold the answers to the nutritional problems many communities experience. Furthermore, TEK gained from indigenous cultures can provide insight global adaptations to climate change.