Introduction

Subsistence agriculture is a key characteristic of traditional or Indigenous communities. In this final unit we will look at some of the food cultivation approaches that are used in a selection of those communities and that have proven to be sustainable and in harmony with the environment.

We will also look at some traditional food processing approaches that are still practised. Too often, Indigenous agricultural techniques have been discredited and abandoned, mainly because they were practised at a subsistence level and therefore not considered applicable or valuable for plantation or large-scale production.

Indigenous knowledge systems and practices are usually passed on from person to person, affordable, locally available, in harmony with nature and sustainable. They are also environmentally friendly because they usually involve fewer toxic chemicals, which also means they are not harmful to human health.

Researchers are now acknowledging the eco-friendly and sustainable nature of traditional practices. Instead of being regarded as backward or slow adopters of modern technology, farmers who apply these practices are becoming recognised as innovators.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit, you will be able to explain best practices in food production and food processing in traditional communities.

Specifically, you will be able to:

• link traditional community-based food production practices to the local cultural and geographical context.
• link traditional community-based processing techniques to the local cultural and geographic context.
• adapt traditional practices — community-based food production and processing techniques — to specific contexts.

Terminology

Traditional/ Indigenous communities: Indigenous peoples share some common characteristics, including a history that pre-dates colonial “discovery”; strong links to the land and nature; distinct economic, political and social systems including languages, cultures and beliefs; a commitment to retaining their ancestral foundations; and communal land ownership with informal arrangements for individuals or families to cultivate allotted plots. (Note that some people prefer to use tribe, aboriginal, ethnic, first people or First Nations to describe themselves, rather than Indigenous. Always use the term or terms that a specific group or person prefers.)

Indigenous knowledge: The information that people in a given community have collected over time and is expressed in their practices, technologies, beliefs, tools and communication systems. It is based on experience, often acquired over centuries, and adapted to the local culture and environment.

Indigenous knowledge can change over time or can be lost, forgotten or even discarded, especially if it does not have a written form.

Fermenting:  A natural process for preserving foods in which micro-organisms convert carbohydrates into alcohol or acids. Fermenting also encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria called probiotics.