ABSTRACT
This study elaborates on the interrelationships of traditional foods with nutrition, knowledge, ecosystems and livelihoods among Adi women of Arunachal Pradesh, in north-east India. A wide range of traditional foods found in diverse ecosystems and sustained through native socio-cultural institutions and ecosystems support the livelihood systems of the Adi community in this region. Adi women identify diverse edible plants and understand methods for processing and preserving them for food security and subsistence income. Their traditional knowledge about integrating and 204domesticating wild ethno-botanicals into existing farming systems contributes further to food, nutritional and income security. Informal networks, formed by women, play significant roles in marketing food resources and ensuring income. Social processes such as modernization, urbanization and globalization are altering food habits in this resource-dependent region, particularly near towns and more densely settled areas.
