Indigenous foods 'at risk'

The rich diversity of food in indigenous communities across the world is threatened by the spread of Western eating habits through globalization, a United Nations agency says.

About three-quarters of the genetic diversity, once found in agricultural crops, has been lost over the past century, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says in a study.

Traditional foods frequently contain very high levels of micronutrients that are good for the body, and the introduction of processed foods is causing health problems in some communities, it says.

"The shift away from traditional food resources to commercial, convenience foods is often accompanied by an increase in diet-related disorders, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure," says Barbara Burlingame, FAO senior nutrition officer.

The study, Indigenous People's Food Systems, was conducted with the Center for Indigenous People's Nutrition and Environment at McGill University in Montreal.