The Indigenous Climate–Food–Health Nexus

The health impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed among the global population. Indigenous peoples are expected to bear a disproportionate burden of the climate-related health impacts given their close relationship with and dependence on the local environment for subsistence and food security, as well as existing gradients in health and colonial legacies. To understand how climate change affects indigenous peoples’ health vis-à-vis food systems, this chapter profiles research conducted in partnership with three indigenous populations: Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, Batwa from the Ugandan Impenetrable Forest, and Shawi in the Peruvian Amazon. Drawing from data captured in cohort surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and a variety of participatory methods, this chapter characterizes climate-sensitive food-related health outcomes in each region. Finally, it examines the critical role of indigenous knowledge, equity, and research in health-related climate change adaptation.