Food security and women's roles in Moroccan Berber (Amazigh) society today

Traditionally, the Berber diet was part of a semiautarkic economy. The suitability of the diet to the regional ecosystem has guaranteed food security for the Berber tribes of Morocco and other countries of North Africa. As part of a patriarchal model, Berber dietary patterns are historically embedde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Maternal and child nutrition 2017-11, Vol.13 (S3), p.n/a
Main Authors:	Belahsen, Rekia, Naciri, Kaoutar, El Ibrahimi, Abdennacer
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adolescent Amazigh Berber Diet dietary model Ethnic Groups Family Characteristics Female food security Food Supply gender Gender Identity Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems: Gender Roles, Biodiversity, and Food Security. Guest Editors: Harriet V. Kuhnlein and Heather B. Leach. Publication of this supplement was supported by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Male Morocco nutrition transition Nutritional Status Socioeconomic Factors Supplement Surveys and Questionnaires Young Adult
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Summary:	Traditionally, the Berber diet was part of a semiautarkic economy. The suitability of the diet to the regional ecosystem has guaranteed food security for the Berber tribes of Morocco and other countries of North Africa. As part of a patriarchal model, Berber dietary patterns are historically embedded in a social system where women's and men's roles are complementary at all stages of food production, processing, and conservation. Women have played a dominant role in the conservation of Berber dietary patterns through the preservation of biodiverse seeds and local varieties, the transmission of the Berber language through generations, and the sharing of knowledge on food, medicinal plants, and cultural practices related to diet and food security. Political, social, demographic, economic, and cultural factors have affected the Berber dietary model and the role of women in its preservation. The shift from a semiautarkic traditional model to a model within a market economy has led to food importation, the erosion of culinary components such as wild edible plants and dietary homogenization. Despite these changes and the associated nutrition transition, the Berber diet remains a cultural heritage because of its rich diversity. Berber women play a crucial role in the preservation and sustainability of Berber culinary heritage and food security.
ISSN:	1740-8695 1740-8709