Project Objectives
ROOTS is a project that aims to revitalize and preserve traditional food systems within indigenous communities who face erosion of their food heritage in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh; through youth empowerment, educational campaigns, community engagement and grassroots actions.
Objectives
- Preserve indigenous food knowledge
- Empower Indigenous Youth
- Increase awareness,community engagement and advocacy about the benefits of traditional diets and strengthen local food sovereignty through grassroots actions.
Project Summary
The Chittagong Hill Tracts are subject to loss of Indigenous ancestral agricultural knowledge due to Modernization, land encroachment, and a rise in monoculture farming; leading to food insecurity, loss of biodiversity, malnutrition and the erosion of cultural identity. The youth of these indigenous communities are at the heart of this crisis, becoming extremely detached from their roots and losing access to their traditional practices that sustained their communities for centuries. According to a recent research on “Sustainable Food Systems through the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Food Knowledge and Practices of Ethnic Communities in Bangladesh” The Chittagong Hill Tracts and its Indigenous communities face threats to their food sovereignty due to climate change, water scarcity and soil degradation. Despite contributing little to global emissions, these communities are among the most affected by climate shocks. Studies reveal that in Bandarban, most households consume fewer than four groups daily, with limited intake of protein rich foods. Water scarcity and lack of irrigation facilities only further intensifies the challenges, leaving farmers unable to sustain cultivation.This erosion of food systems not only undermines nutrition and income security but also weakens cultural practices that are deeply tied to land and agriculture, disproportionately affecting women and youth who are often excluded from decision making processes.
ROOTS aims to fight this through youth empowerment and community engagement. The initiative will engage Indigenous youth aged 13 to 25 from the Mro, Khumi, Marma, and Tanchangya communities, alongside elders and women who serve as vital knowledge keepers. Placing youth in the centre of these efforts to protect and promote their food heritage is vital to ROOTS, inspiring them to become leaders that advocate the preservation of these Indigenous food systems. ROOTS recognizes food as not just as a means of nourishment, but a crucial part of cultural identity and community cohesion.
The Goal of the project is to preserve the indigenous knowledge that surrounds food systems, while simultaneously empowering the youth, ensuring they take active roles in safeguarding the nutritional and cultural pillars of their communities. ROOTS aims to do this through interactive food circles, climate action boards, story telling sessions and community food gardens while also fostering participation in community dialogues, food showcases and consultations with agricultural officials.
Implementing ROOTS is not without challenges. Remote geographies, limited irrigation, and communication barriers pose difficulties. However, the project’s indigenous led approach ensures cultural sensitivity and trust, while participatory methods empower communities to co-create solutions.
Key Components of the Project:
1. Youth Engagement and Advocacy
ROOTS engages indigenous youths and schools to this initiative, fostering awareness and resilience through its interactive workshops, connecting the youth to their heritage and educating them about Indigenous food systems. Moreover, community dialogues, Indigenous food showcases and consultation with agricultural officials create vital platforms where advocacy, local knowledge and decision making meet, leading to amplified community voices to influence policies on indigenous food sovereignty and protection of indigenous rights. ROOTS aim to inspire a new generation of leaders who advocate for the preservation of their food systems and their Indigenous rights.
2. Reconnecting with Indigenous Roots and Heritage
At its core, ROOTS believes that food is more than nourishment, it is culture and identity. For Indigenous youths who are growing increasingly detached from their cultures, reconnecting with their roots is the most powerful form of empowerment. Through this initiative, the youth are expected to gain a deeper understanding of their heritage and values that have helped sustain their communities for centuries. The project is not only about preserving the past, it aims to equip youth with pride and purpose to lead the future, where the culture they are born into is seen as a strength rather than a weakness.
3. Ripple Effect
ROOTS aims to ignite change that spreads far beyond the project itself. By equipping indigenous youth with knowledge and leadership, it empowers them to carry these lessons back to their own families,schools and communities. Each participant becomes an advocate for change, inspiring others around them to adopt sustainable practices and protect their cultural heritage. The ripple effect will strengthen community cohesion and reinforce cultural pride, whose collective impact will contribute to shifts in attitude and policies. ROOTS will plant the seeds of change that will multiply across communities through generations, which ensures the preservation of indigenous heritage.