Review of Interactions with Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Systems in Latin America. The Need for Co-Creation of Knowledge on Agrobiodiversity

Abstract

In light of the current debate on the contributions of Indigenous knowledge (IK) systems to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the context of agrobiodiversity, little is known about the consistency of research published in Latin America (LA) on the interactions between IK and non-Indigenous systems. The objective was to review the LA literature from 1992, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted, through 2022, marking the 30th anniversary of the Rio Summit. The interactions between knowledge systems and their implications are examined from the perspective of Tengö et al. (2014) based on Multiple Evidences (EBME). This review established that a co-generation of knowledge has not been achieved in the way interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge systems have been addressed in the area of agrobiodiversity in the LA region. Therefore, as proposed in the literature, in LA we must work toward greater autonomy for Indigenous peoples and overcome the implicit assumption that the cultural knowledge and practices referred to as ‘traditional knowledge’ are the ones that must conform to Western conceptions of ‘knowledge.’ On the contrary, we must incorporate the premise of IK systems regarding the relationship of belonging and identity with the land or Mother Earth, and recognize that, rather than separation, these systems emphasize the relationality or interconnectedness between human and non-human entities that interact in the process of knowing, feeling, and acting in the natural and immaterial world.