Markets and indigenous Peoples in Asia

Description

Indigenous peoples, also referred to as Scheduled Tribes, adivasis, hill tribes, minority nationalists, or ethnic minorities, predominantly inhabit the uplands and hill–forest regions of different nations in Asia. They are distinguished from the others in terms of their mode of production: subsistence production versus accumulation and income increasing production.   Markets and Indigenous Peoples in Asia analyses markets-based and alternative developments for indigenous peoples. The authors suggest that the benefits of increased connectivity and market-facilitating interventions correspond to an increase in production and improvement in the well being of these peoples. They further explore the scope for preserving indigenous identities combined with attempts at economic development. This study is based on intensive, multi-sited fieldwork in six Asian developing countries—India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam—and data collected from International Fund for Agricultural Development projects on indigenous peoples.