The Hidden Hunger

In the lush Western Ghats, tribal communities experience a stark paradox: surrounded by rich biodiversity, they face deepening food and nutritional insecurity. This crisis stems from disrupted access to ancestral forests—a vital source of wild foods, herbs, and traditional crops—due to conservation policies and land-use changes. Combined with climate-induced crop failures and a shift toward cash crops, these communities now rely on expensive, nutrient-poor market foods, leading to chronic malnutrition.

A sustainable solution requires restoring food sovereignty. By reviving native millets and pulses through community seed banks, promoting diverse nutrition gardens, and enabling sustainable harvesting of forest produce, tribes can regain dietary diversity and resilience. Supporting land rights and integrating traditional knowledge with ecological practices is essential.

Empowering these communities to manage their resources ensures not only food security but also the preservation of both cultural heritage and the fragile biodiversity of the Western Ghats.