Northwest African and Middle Eastern food and dietary change of indigenous peoples
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Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
Harriet V Kuhnlein1, Timothy Johns,
1Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Rd, Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec H9X3V9, Canada. harriet.kuhnlein@mcgill.ca
Abstract:
This paper describes cultural and ecological characteristics of Northwest African and Middle Eastern food patterns and discusses the forces contributing to rapid dietary change. Focus is given to indigenous/tribal/ethnic/minorities in these areas with contributions to definitions of these groups, the extent of their diversity, and the importance of their traditional knowledge of local food resources. Urbanization, particularly for those facing extreme poverty in the urban environment, is recognized as a significant force to dietary change and consequent poor nutrition, especially for children. Examples of food systems are given for the coastal zone of West Africa and the semi-arid and desert zones of North Africa and the Middle East, also including the food system of Pharaonic times. Trends in dietary change are presented as data derived from FAO Food Balance Sheets.
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