Untitled - Api-fellowships.org

POTENTIAL OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES:A POSSIBILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?The Study of Local Wisdom Concerning the Consumption of Native Foodand the Utilization of Indigenous Medicinal Vegetables for Health Care inIndonesiaKhosit Elvezio Kasikam65IntroductionThe Republic of Indonesia has one of highest levels ofbiodiversity in the world. It is also a major “meltingpot” of people, comprising a great variety of ethnicities,languages and belief systems.Today, globalization, free trade and modern lifestylesare changing food culture in Indonesia as in otherlocations around the world. Fast food and other newfood choices are becoming common. This has healthimplications, as experts have long agreed that there is astrong relationship between food consumption,lifestyle and overall health.In Indonesia, as elsewhere, local foods consist of localplants and other food items that have been known,grown and consumed over many generations. Suchfoods are known to often provide benefits for publichealth. (In Thailand, for example, people tend to eatkaeng som dok khae (red chili sour soup with sesbaniaflowers) at the start of the winter season. Local wisdomholds that sesbania flowers have a protective qualityagainst fevers brought on by weather change).The purpose of this study is to explore local wisdomabout food, including privately cultivated vegetablesand medicinal plants, on Indonesia’s major islands.Data was collected on the islands of Sumatra, Java andBali. An underlying assumption of the study holds thatfood is also medicine and is vital for health care, bywhich we mean the diagnosis, treatment andprevention of disease, injury or impairments affectingphysical and mental health.Local wisdom, also called traditional or indigenous orlocal knowledge, is a cornerstone of this study. Localwisdom refers to valuable traditional heritagetransmitted from generation to generation withinregional or local communities, tribes or groups. Itsmost basic form is knowledge of local bio-physicalelements and their interactions. Some of thisknowledge may have religious, spiritual andcosmological aspects. The cultural transmission ofknowledge is a key part of a group’s survival strategy.The loss of local wisdom can mean the loss of selfconfidenceand self-respect.Part of the preparatory research for this study wascarried out at Boonyaram Temple in Kedah and atRimba Herba Perlis (Herb Garden) in Perlis, Malaysia.The researcher’s knowledge of German and Chinese,and his deep interest in Thai literature with Javaneseorigins proved beneficial for fast language learning.This allowed for direct communication withIndonesian people and the building of relationships oftrust.The actual study started with an investigation ofliterature about local Indonesian foods, localingredients in food preparation, and local wisdomconcerning health care through nutrition. The nextstep was to observe food consumption and theutilization of privately cultivated vegetables andmedicinal plants. In-depth interviews and intensiveconversations were carried out with “wise” people inthe studied communities. Details of local foods,conditions under which these foods are consumed, andassociated beliefs were recorded. The result is avaluable record of local wisdom in Indonesia inrelation to food consumption.The Work of the 2010/2011 API Fellows