About indigenous food systems, the example of the Rapa Nui people, Chile. Strengthening and contributing to food security in times of climate change

Sumario: The following presentation will focus on the importance of indigenous food systems (IFS) at a global level, highlighting as an example the situation of the Rapa Nui people in Easter Island, analyzing their evolution and transformations over time, and demonstrating that the IAS are carriers of ancestral knowledge that has prevailed for many centuries; such knowledge is composed of countless production skills and know-how that allow for the sustainable development and management of the territory’s natural resources.  The risk factors affecting UPS, such as global warming, are also analyzed. Finally, an analysis is made of the development and changes in terms of the IAS, the current regulatory framework of indigenous law and the public policies that allow the promotion of indigenous food systems in accordance with international policies such as the FAO. From an economic point of view, many of the indigenous peoples and communities that live in Chile are constituted as poor, added to the fact that they live in marginalized rural environments, difficult to access and exposed to risks. The indigenous economies are mainly based on the subsistence economy, which is further aggravated by the fact that in many cases they have limited access to land and natural resources.