Food Insecurity and Community Resilience Among Indonesia’s Indigenous Suku Anak Dalam

In the forests of Jambi Province, Indonesia, the Indigenous Suku Anak Dalam have encountered rapid alterations to the environment upon which they previously depended. Their culinary traditions—and the knowledge that accompanies them—are placed at a greater risk as palm oil plantations expand and forest areas diminish. This research is based on extensive interviews with customary leaders (called Tumenggung, who guide communal life and cultural practices), elders, and women in five settlements in Merangin District. Rather than regarding participants as research subjects, we engaged with their narratives. The image that emerged was not merely one of food scarcity but also one of cultural loss. Instead of forest tubers, untamed fruits, or fish, families now depend on instant noodles or cassava. The rivers are no longer clean, and the trees that were once a source of both sustenance and medicine are largely extinct. Nevertheless, individuals devise strategies to adapt, including cultivating small crops in the vicinity of their dwellings, collecting what is left along the plantation’s perimeter, and distributing their meager possessions to their neighbors. This research demonstrates that food security for Indigenous peoples is not solely dependent on agriculture or nutrition. It is about the right to have a voice in one’s own land, dignity, and memory. Genuine solutions must transcend technical fixes and nutritional aid. The first step is to respect Indigenous voices, protect their territories, and support their methods of knowing and living before they are also lost.