Building on Indigenous Knowledge for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition: Evidence from a Community-based Intervention in Eastern India

Background Indigenous communities in India face high rates of malnutrition despite living in biodiverse regions. Structural drivers, including declining forest cover due to land use changes (mining, urbanisation and infrastructure development), male outmigration, women's time poverty, and the erosion of intergenerational food knowledge, exacerbate these inequities. Objective The participatory action research project aimed to improve dietary diversity and nutrition amongst an Indigenous community – the Santals - in two development blocks in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand in Eastern India. Methods Building on a community-led, culturally grounded food and nutrition intervention, involving the documentation and nutritional analysis of local foods, and development and dissemination of nine meal templates, data were collected through pre- and post- intervention assessment, designed as a knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey, with 684 individual women who were part of self-help groups (SHGs). Alongside this, focus group discussions with SHG members, and semi-structured interviews with 14 frontline workers and two local government (panchayat) leaders were conducted. Participatory nutrition literacy workshops, recipe-based demonstrations, and training of local women as Nutrition Champions was undertaken. Results Post-intervention, nutrition knowledge improved significantly (i. e. awareness of iron for anaemia prevention rose from 45% to 80%), alongside adoption of diverse, balanced diets. Approximately 65% of the women reported increased meal planning, inclusion of seasonal greens, eggs, local fish, and revived traditional recipes. The intervention strengthened women's agency, food equity in households, peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational knowledge exchange. Panchayat engagement and integration with government programs such as Didi-Bari (Sister's garden) supported sustainability. The seasonality of food availability, water scarcity, and women's time and labour for the collection and preparation of diverse diets remain key constraints. Conclusions Community-led, culturally relevant nutrition interventions can enhance dietary diversity, revive Indigenous knowledge, and empower women. Scaling these approaches through policy convergence offers a pathway toward equitable and sustainable food systems.