Abstract
This article is based on a community-based case study of the Indigenous food system of the Irigwe people of north-central Nigeria, a farming community known for its tradition of gathering wild food. We explore the Irigwe's perspective on their food system through participatory research tools, including oral history interviews with thirty indigenous food-knowledge experts and elders. We document the cultural meanings of food within their Indigenous food system and their relationship to Indigenous food-production practices such as food foraging. Because the Irigwe people perceive their indigenous food systems and knowledge as holistic, many wild foods—such as Gbangri (Grewia mollis), which is used in a traditional soup—are eaten with claims of medicinal potency. Foraging trips are significant for gathering food, intergenerational teaching, and socialization. Despite environmental and social challenges, the community has maintained its unique Indigenous food system through transmission of values, such as reciprocity and traditional dispute resolution.
