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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Indigenous Agriculture | Indigenous Agricultural and Environmental Knowledge Systems
  • Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2017 09:29:34 -0400

Indigenous Agriculture
http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/iksys.html

Indigenous Agricultural and Environmental Knowledge Systems
------------------------------
Indigenous knowledge is local knowledge unique to a given culture or
society. Indigenous agricultural and environmental knowledge gained global
recognition through the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in 1992, and documents such as the *World Conservation
Strategy* (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) 1980) and Brundtland Commission's *Our Common Future*
(World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987). Indigenous
knowledge is an immensely valuable resource that provides humankind with
insights on how communities have interacted with their changing environment.

Indigenous knowledge systems have never been systematically recorded in
written form and therefore are not readily accessible to agricultural
researchers, development practitioners, and policy makers. Warren (1991)
provides a detailed overview of indigenous knowledge systems in "Using
Indigenous Knowledge in Agricultural Development."
<http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-604/004-604.html> Warren and Rajasekaran
(1993) offer a more succinct discussion in "Putting Local Knowledge to Good
Use." <http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-171/004-171.html> Rajasekaran,
Warren, and Babu (1991) provide a general explanation of indigenous
knowledge, with a particular emphasis on genetic resources, pastoral
management, and agroforestry, in "Indigenous Natural-Resource Management
Systems for Sustainable Agricultural Development."
<http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-172/004-172.html>

The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Preserving Biodiversity
<http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/ikbio.html> is essential to human development.
Indigenous knowledge about plant genetic resources is an invaluable tool in
the search for new ways to conserve and use these resources to benefit
local communities. Warren (1992) expands on this important link in the
keynote address "Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity Conservation and
Development" <http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-173/004-173.html> delivered at
the International Conference on Conservation of Biodiversity in Africa.

Farmers and pastoralists maintain a wide variety of trees in Indigenous
Agroforestry Systems <http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/ikagro.html>. These
systems are highly adaptable to specific agroecological conditions and, at
the same time, meet needs for food, fodder, firewood, and lumber.
Mathias-Mundy et al. (1992) survey indigenous agroforestry systems in
"Indigenous
Technical Knowledge of Private Tree Management."
<http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-175/004-175.html>

Farmers adopt a wide range of Indigenous Agricultural and Land Use Practices
<http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/ikprac.html> based on generations of
experience, informal experiments, and intimate understanding of their
biophysical and sociocultural environments. Reijntjes, Haverkort, and
Waters-Bayer (1992) provide examples of indigenous farming systems,
practices, and knowledge <http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-176a/004-176a.html>
in *Farming for the Future*.

Indigenous Food Production Systems <http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/ikfood.html>
are fairly sophisticated and contribute significantly to food security.
These systems involve complex processes for producing food from diversified
agroecological and sociocultural environments to meet the subsistence needs
of the people.

Agenda 21
<gopher://infoserver.ciesin.org/11/human/domains/political-policy/intl/confs/UNCED/unced-finals>,
one of three non-binding environmental agreements signed at UNCED,
emphasizes that local governments and intergovernmental organizations
should respect, record, and work toward Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge
Systems <http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/ikuse.html> into research and
development programs for the conservation of biodiversity and
sustainability of agricultural and natural resource management systems.
Rajasekaran (1993b) discusses how this can be accomplished in *"A Framework
for Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into Agricultural Research,
Extension, and NGOs for Sustainable Agricultural Development."*

The CIESIN Thematic Guide essay The Rights of Indigenous People
<http://www.ciesin.org/TG/PI/RIGHTS/indig.html> provides further resources
on indigenous populations.



  • [permaculture] Indigenous Agriculture | Indigenous Agricultural and Environmental Knowledge Systems, Lawrence London, 08/31/2017

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