Diet among the Huli in Papua New Guinea highlands when they were influenced by the extended rainy period

Household food consumption surveys (weighed records for 7 days) were conducted in two Huli‐speaking communities, Heli in the slope zone and Wenani in the flat plain, in Papua New Guinea Highlands when their food productivity had decreased after an extended rainy period in 1994. Despite lowered productivity of garden crops in both communities, daily adult male energy and protein intakes in Wenani (12930 kJ, 3090 kcal and 56 g, respectively) exceeded the requirement and safe levels by FAO/WHO/UNU (1985), whereas those in Heli (7750 kJ, 1852 kcal and 35 g) were below both levels. The difference was mostly attributable to three times higher productivity of food energy in the normal period in Wenani than in Heli. The findings are relevant to the maintenance of food security among Papua New Guinea Highlanders.

Key words:

• Food consumption
• dietary intake
• population pressure
• climatic perturbation
• modernization
• Papua New Guinea Highlands

Notes

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