Co-designing multi-purpose nature-based solutions for food sovereignty and health (CodeMOANAH)
Piloting an internationally recognised method to characterise, analyse and map biodiversity in Indigenous food production systems.
Research Cluster
Healthy Country, Healthy Communities, Healthy People
Research partners
PuipiKak Malu, Envirotech Education, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
Project team
Dr Viliamu Iese, Dr Gayathri Mekala, Dr Alexis Pang, Karen Edwards (School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES)); Associate Professor Paul Cheng, Dr Rachel Morgain (Melbourne Biodiversity Institute, SAFES); Dr John Doolah (Faculty of Education); Dr Michelle Richards (School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences); Dr Annabelle Workman (Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne Law School), Dr Tyrone Lavery (School of Biosciences), Dr Rita Seumanutafa-Palala (Oceania Institute), with partner investigators from PuipiKak Malu, Envirotech Education and FAO.
Contact
Project summary
Climate change, environmental degradation, and change diets are threatening biodiversity in Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems across the Torres Strait Islands and the Pacific Islands. In partnership with local communities and organisations, this project will pilot an internationally recognised method to characterise, analyse and map biodiversity in Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. The project will document biodiversity, identify levels of sovereignty over food systems and natural resources, and co-design pathways for multipurpose nature-based solutions to restore, strengthen biodiversity for food sovereignty, wellbeing and health.
What are we interested in?
Biodiversity loss in Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems is contributing to food insecurity and poor health outcomes in Torres Strait and Pacific Islands communities. There is a need to understand how landscapes, seascapes and biodiversity and knowledge systems underpin food, health, income and cultural security, and to identify pathways for restoring and strengthening these systems for better food, wellbeing, resilient and health outcomes.
The goals of our project
To pilot the Bioversity International and FAO method in three Torres Strait communities, and one Pacific Island community, documenting biodiversity and co-designing pathways for nature-based solutions that restore food systems, improve health outcomes and strengthen local governance of biodiversity.
Outcomes / activities
Desktop review of biodiversity in Torres Strait Islands, inception workshop for co-design, contextualised field assessments coordinated by local partners, data analysis and reporting, and community feedback sessions. Outputs include updated biodiversity reports, contextualised methods and tools, three peer-reviewed papers, contributions to the FAO Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems (IPFS), identify pathways for restore and strengthen IPFS and draft concept notes for future research.