Monpa Women Revitalize Indigenous Cuisine to Tackle Food Security
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: A small diner in India’s remote Chug Valley helps revive traditional Monpa cuisine and farming practices while protecting local forests and food heritage.
📈 One key stat: 85% of local grains like millet, maize, and barley had declined due to modern food rations, but are now making a comeback through this initiative.
💬 One key quote: “This video was produced by the Mongabay India team; find more environmental stories from India on their YouTube channel.”
1️⃣ The big picture: A group of Monpa women in Northeast India’s remote Chug Valley are leading an inspiring food revolution through their heritage diner called Damu’s Heritage Dine. The restaurant specializes in traditional Monpa recipes using locally-grown grains and foraged forest ingredients, helping preserve both culinary traditions and sustainable farming practices. For generations, the Monpa community relied on climate-resilient crops and seasonal forest produce, but this way of life declined with the introduction of government food rations and urban migration. Through their work, these women are now encouraging local farmers to return to growing traditional grains while protecting the surrounding forest ecosystems.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The initiative helps preserve Indigenous food knowledge while promoting sustainable agriculture and forest conservation. Local farmers are returning to growing climate-resilient traditional crops, strengthening food security in the region. The project demonstrates how small, community-led efforts can create positive ripple effects for both cultural preservation and environmental protection. The diner’s success shows that traditional food systems can be economically viable while supporting biodiversity and local ecosystems.
3️⃣ What’s next: The diner plans to expand its menu to include more forgotten recipes and ingredients from Monpa cuisine. They aim to work with additional local farmers to increase the cultivation of traditional grains. The women also hope to document and share their traditional recipes and knowledge to inspire similar initiatives in other Indigenous communities.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – How a remote diner in India is fueling a culinary and ecological revival
