Integrating Land, Forest, and Food: Rethinking Adivasi Livelihoods in India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrjss.2025.v05.n01.029Keywords:
Adivasi livelihoods, Food security, Land alienation, Forest dependency, Tribal rightsAbstract
Adivasi communities in India, officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes, have historically relied on land and forests for subsistence and cultural identity. However, colonial interventions, post-independence development policies, and integration into market economies have disrupted these systems, leading to land alienation, ecological degradation, and chronic food insecurity. This paper presents a narrative review of interdisciplinary scholarship, with a particular focus on Kerala, to examine the nexus between livelihoods, land, forest dependence, and food security among Adivasis. The review highlights how transitions from subsistence-based economies to wage labour and migration have reduced autonomy and resilience, while policies such as land reforms and the Forest Rights Act remain weakly implemented. A critical gap identified is the limited research connecting livelihood transformations directly to food and nutritional security, despite evidence of declining dietary diversity and dependence on subsidized food grains. The paper argues that without secure land and forest rights, Adivasis cannot achieve livelihood resilience or food sovereignty. It calls for integrative policy frameworks that combine ecological sustainability, tribal rights, and culturally appropriate food systems to address both structural inequalities and nutritional well-being.
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