How is Climate Change impacting the indigenous food of Northeast India

For the Karbis, a major indigenous community of Northeast India, the origin of some of their traditional edible plants has connections with myths relating to the origin of the earth.

According to a popular Karbi myth, after their supreme deity Hemphu created the earth, the other deities Sairikpo and Mairikpo sprinkled nine fistfuls of seeds in the east and west directions of the earth respectively. These seeds germinated and flourished into hanthu (Gnetum gnemon) and mehek (Rhynchotechum ellipticum) among others. The Karbi legendary warrior Thong Nokbe first consumed these wild plants and later his common descendants followed him. 

Hanthu cooked with him (rice flour) and pholo (alkaline water) is said to be the first cuisine prepared by the Karbis. This has apparently continued over the years and the present form of this cuisine is known as Kangmoi. The Karbis often refer to themselves as Hanthu-Mehek (children of Hanthu and Mehek). Hanthu and Mehek are indispensable for Karbi households during marriage or death ceremonies even now. 

This is one example of the fact that some indigenous wild plants are not only regularly consumed by indigenous people as a part of their diet and become a source of nutrition but these wild foods are also integral to their religious and traditional practices in Northeast India. They have become an integral part of the indigenous cuisine.

Indigenous food plants are disappearing fast

The indigenous food plants are disappearing fast from the traditional food platter of the region. Apart from other factors like rapid urbanization and deforestation, climate change is increasingly playing a big role in this.

“Indigenous people of Northeast India have always been dependent on a wide variety of native fungi, plant species for medicine, ceremonies, apart from food. But certain varieties of vegetables and edible ferns are fast disappearing due to increasing temperature and erratic rainfall,” said Jayanta Kumar Sarma, Independent Consultant (Environment and Development) who is well-known for his expertise in traditional knowledge systems of Northeast India. 

“For example, the Boro variety of rice is cultivated in place of Sali rice across several parts of Assam nowadays as they can withstand adverse climatic conditions like rainfall to some extent in contrast to the traditional varieties. But traditional foods/snacks based on Sali rice are fast disappearing from the households of indigenous people,” added Sarma. 

Dr Raja Rafiqul Hoque, who is a professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Tezpur University in Assam, said that the rainfall pattern has definitely changed in Northeast India and it has impacted the indigenous food of the region. 

“The most visible change in the climate system is in the Hydrological system. Like many other parts of India, rainfall or precipitation pattern has definitely changed in Northeast India, one doesn’t need any statistics to say that. Now, we have sudden extreme spells of heavy rainfall on some days but there are also long spells of dry days. This is not good for the soil and for the crops,” said Dr Hoque. 

“Therefore, many traditionally grown crops of the region that does not suit this change in climate are getting affected. This has definitely impacted the indigenous food platter of the region,” Hoque added. 

Impact on Jhum Cultivation 

Dima Hasao district of Assam witnessed unprecedented rainfall this year during the monsoon season which led to massive landslides, erosion and floods leading to the loss of lives and extensive damage to property. This has also severely impacted shifting or jhum cultivation in the district which is believed to be one of the most ancient forms of farming. Jhum cultivators in the region not only grow multiple traditional rice varieties but also various vegetables integral to the indigenous food platter of the tribals.

Reports have emerged showing that traditional jhum cultivators of districts like Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong are increasingly shifting from cultivating traditional food crops like rice and other vegetables to tea cultivation because of facing a multitude of challenges related to climate change.

Jayanta Kumar Sarma, who is currently studying the impact of the recent ‘severe rainfall’ on Jhum Cultivation in the Dima Hasao area said that climate anomalies like the change of rainfall pattern in Northeastern states like Assam have definitely taken a toll on the traditional food habits of indigenous people of the state. 

“In normal times, some traditional vegetable varieties are cultivated from July onwards and some rice in September but this year nothing was or is possible. Local villagers said that they had not experienced such an event in the last 100 years,” Sarma said while talking about the unprecedented erratic rainfall pattern this year that seems to have crippled the district.

“Clay soil for rice cultivation needs constant moisture and drought-like situations or too much rainfall at the wrong time has affected jhum cultivation. Seed sowing was already done this year and the heavy rainfall after that washed away entire patches of land and even led to erosions and landslides. Climate anomaly is definitely a reason,” said Sarma. 

A Global Phenomenon

The United Nations observes, ‘Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship, with the environment and its resources.’

Studies conducted in various parts of the world have found that climate change is impacting the availability of wild species of food plants consumed by indigenous people. One such study has projected that ‘40% of species will experience a decrease in range extent within southern Africa by 2060-2080 under a low warming scenario.’

Another 2016 study on the impact of climate change on the ‘Production and Processing of Native and Traditional Crops in the Bolivian Andes’, suggests that ‘the effects of climatic changes on agriculture go beyond reductions in yield, also influencing how farmers make choices about the timing of planting, soil management, and the use and spatial distribution of particular crop varieties.’ The study also finds that the ‘household processing techniques to preserve and detoxify native foods rely on key environmental and climatic resources, which may be vulnerable to climatic shifts.’