Restoring the values of traditional foods

ABSTRACT

Poverty affects ~ 26% of the world’s population and is a challenge that humanity must overcome by the end of 2030, as per the agenda set by the United Nations. Witnessing the current world scenario, it is crucial to find an alternative to overcome this challenge, especially in the context of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is expected to affect consumers directly or indirectly. With this in mind, this chapter is designed to analyze the value of traditional foods and their importance in planning and adopting strategies to strengthen local, regional, and global food systems. The revaluation of traditional food systems is certainly a good option, which can overcome emergencies of food insecurity such as famines and droughts or unprecedented occurrences such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which the world has recently experienced. Based on this logic, institutional resilience can be defined as the capacity to adapt or transform institutional norms or arrangements in a territory. In this context, the concept of traditional foods allows the witnessing and practice of historically inherited cultural expressions. Finally, to ensure the sustainability of traditional foods, it is imperative that local governments design appropriate policies to befit future generations. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.