Climate change, dietary shift, and traditional norms in the western Himalayan region, India

ABSTRACT Climate change is the new normal of modern times, complicating the assurance of food security to the vulnerable peoples, especially the local communities with deep-rooted customary beliefs associated with the dietary habits of the Himalayan region. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the climate-induced impacts on traditional communities is not yet fully understood for evidence-based policy formation. Hence, this study aims (i) to analyze the perception of local people towards climate change, (ii) to investigate the perception of local communities toward traditional dietary habits, and (iii) to explore the changes observed in socio-cultural beliefs system due to dietary shift. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 75 in-depth qualitative interviews. The results of the grounded theory approach show that climate change has a localized meaning. Further, environmental change has significantly affected local food choices, which have an implication on the customary belief system attached to the local communities, irrespective of the socio-demography of the communities. The current study concludes that traditional knowledge is significant in addressing the issue of climate change. Therefore, the local society’s socio-ecological beliefs must be integrated for effective food security and climate change adaptation strategies.