Traditional Food Access and Property Pluralism in Nsukka Cultural Region, Southeastern Nigeria: An Ethnographic Study

This is the research appendix document from the ethnographic study conducted in rural Igbo communities, specifically in the Nsukka area of southeastern Nigeria. The document is the supplementary material for the larger study. It provides the methodological tools and participant information that underpin the research findings. The first appendix contains links to Google Maps where the we have plotted the locations of their study participants. There are two maps available, one showing the entire study area and another showing individual participant locations. These are presented as clickable links that would allow readers to explore the geographic distribution of the research visually. The second appendix is a detailed interview guide used for conducting semi-structured interviews with community members. The guide is organized into eight distinct sections that move from general rapport-building questions to specific inquiries about food production, resource access, and social dynamics. What stands out immediately is that the primary interview questions are written in Igbo using the Nsukka accent, with English translations provided alongside. This linguistic choice reflects the our commitment to conducting the study in the local language rather than imposing a colonial or standard language framework. The guide covers topics ranging from basic household composition and livelihood strategies to complex customary rules governing access to tree fruits, collective hunting arrangements, and labor exchange systems. There is significant attention paid to gender dynamics throughout, with specific probe questions directed only to women or only to men, acknowledging that men and women experience these food access systems differently. The interview guide also includes questions about change over time, asking participants to compare current practices with those from their youth, and probing whether young people today maintain the same knowledge and customs as older generations. The third appendix presents a table summarizing demographic and socioeconomic information for all 127 study participants. This table functions as a registry of who was interviewed, providing basic characteristics for each person including their age, gender, community of residence, primary occupation, economic status, land ownership situation, household structure, and their level of knowledge and current participation in three key activities: tree fruit collection, hunting, and labor exchange. The participants come from thirteen different communities, ranging from small villages like Adani, Aku, and Iheaka to the more urbanized Nsukka town. The age distribution spans from young adults in their early twenties to elders in their late seventies, with the majority falling into middle-aged and elder categories. The livelihood patterns reflect a rural economy in transition; while many participants still engage in subsistence farming, others work in trading, civil service, or non-farm labor. Land ownership emerges as a critical variable, with some participants owning land directly, others accessing it through spouses or family members, and a significant portion, particularly among youth and those in town areas, having no land access at all. The table also documents a pattern of declining participation in traditional activities, with many older participants marked as formerly active in hunting or labor exchange but no longer practicing these activities, while younger participants often show limited knowledge of these systems from the outset.