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We believe that the food is an integral part of a community which binds us together, all the other activities are related to either production, consumption or distribution of the food system & local economy. As we see the distance growing between these co-dependent activities in Ladakh's community, Local Futures projects revolves around research, awareness & actions to reduce the impact of consumerism & globalization.
Our team is focusing on relocalizing food systems and reviving traditional practices. In collaboration with indigenous organizations and the local government, we host workshops and dialogues on food, farming and traditional knowledge, promote more responsible tourism, and produce short films on the major issues facing Ladakh today.
In December 2022, we hosted a 2-day residential workshop with the aim to create a platform for young Ladakhis to vent their concern about the socio-economic and cultural changes in Ladakh and to discuss what can be done about it. A full report will follow soon.
The workshop was featured on the news channel 24×7 (Hindi spoken) More info..
Gathering on Khunak
Chak Chok Campaign
While Ladakh may be geographically distant from the factories and corporate board rooms where junk food and plastic packaging originate, it is unfortunately not immune to the epidemic of corporate globalization. In Ladakh as in the rest of India, junk food and beverages are now ubiquitous and their consumption is increasing, and thus the same diseases are spreading at an alarming rate, as is the accumulation of unmanageable plastic waste all across the region. The flip side of this is the erosion of the local food economy and the nutritious, traditional dishes that sustained Ladakhi culture for centuries. In a vicious cycle, this in turn is connected to the diminishment of local agriculture and the rapid decline of the villages. Read more..
On September 17-18, 2022 we organized, together with Snow Leopard Conservancy, Ladakh Arts and Media Organization, and Kalpavriksh, the event ‘Celebrating Nas’ – barley – to revitalize, reconnect and revalue Ladakhi culture, traditions and food sovereignty , Read more
Watch this short video made by Local Futures’ Ladakh team that expresses why nas is so important to Ladakhi culture.
Nas Celebration
In a gathering of gobas (nambardars) from various parts of Leh district, several recommendations were made to strengthen local-level governance including the goba system. The gathering was organised by Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust (SLC-IT), Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Ladakh Media and Arts Organisation (LAMO), Local Futures, and Kalpavriksh. About 35 nambardars / gobas participated in the gathering. The meeting was graced by the Chief Executive Councillor Tashi Gyaltsan and the Ladakh Buddhist Association Vice-President Tsering Dorjay Lakruk, both of whom supported the need to strengthen and recognize the goba system. Read More,,
Study of Goba system in Ladakh
The project’s broad aim is to combine scientific and artistic approaches to climate change by developing acoustic and aural methodologies in cryospheric research. Through the deployment of various situated “listening” practices, the project brought scientific research, local experiences, and inter-generational knowledge of glaciers together. Read more