Abstract

We argue that an "actually existing alternative" to the industrial food system can be found in the Amadiba community in South Africa. Like other indigenous food systems, Amadiba traditional foodways are underpinned by principles such as interconnection, sacredness, gratitude, abundance and collectivism, rather than growth or profit. The Amadiba community has struggled to protect the land and sea upon which their foodways depend, in the face of attempts by the South African government and international corporations to impose 'development' projects. This indigenous food sovereignty struggle highlights the principles-based Amadiba food system as a model for prioritizing social and ecological needs.

Keywords: indigenous food systems, alternatives to development, food sovereignty, traditional foodways, land-based livelihoods, resistance to mining

How to Cite:

Kesselman, B. & Zukulu, S., (2025) “Traditional foodways of the Amadiba: A struggle for indigenous food sovereignty in Mpondoland, South Africa”, Journal of Political Ecology 32(1): 5933. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.5933