Indigenous knowledge in food system transformations

Abstract

Indigenous food systems ensure ecological and socio-economic sustainability but remain marginalized in science and policy. We argue that better documentation, deeper understanding, and political recognition of indigenous knowledge can help transform food systems.Indigenous knowledge is crucial for sustainable transformations of food systems but often remains marginalized in policy and practice. Controversies surrounding the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit have highlighted this issue, as a broad alliance of academics and activists boycotted the event by arguing that it disempowered indigenous people and constituted an effort by "multinational corporations, philanthropies, and export-oriented countries to […] capture the global narrative of food systems transformation 1 ".The contestation of the 2021 Summit reflects a deeper tension between increasing emphasis on the importance of indigenous knowledge in academic research and its continued marginalization in institutions and decision-making processes of the global food system. As participants and organizers of the 2021 Summit's side event Bridging scientific and indigenous peoples' knowledge for sustainable and inclusive food systems, we identified seven key entry points for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the negotiation of food systems transformations. Entry points for indigenous engagementLearning from case studies and discussions at our side event of the 2021 Summit, we highlight the need for concrete entry points beyond merely symbolic acknowledgment of the importance of indigenous knowledge. We identified seven entry points that can contribute to bridging indigenous and academic knowledge about food systems (Fig. 1). The diversity of entry points reflects the need for a multi-pronged approach that includes an improved understanding of indigenous knowledge systems, more inclusive practices of conservation and negotiation, as well as political articulations of indigenous representation and self-determination.Co-evolution of ecosystems and knowledge systems. Indigenous people conserve about 80% of the world's biodiversity 2 and their knowledge systems have co-evolved with ecosystems, guiding agricultural and other livelihood practices. Despite growing academic interest in the co-evolution of ecosystems and knowledge systems 3 , agricultural development often fails to recognize the adaptive character of indigenous knowledge and practices. Understanding this co-evolution and adaptation is crucial for situating indigenous food systems and their sustainable roles in wider environments 4 .

Current Challenges and Future of Agricultural Genomes to Phenomes in the U.S.

“…Communities that are poorly represented in scientific research could share -as well as gain -valuable knowledge and experience through increased opportunities and involvement in G2P research. Acceptance of diverse options to produce food increases when a broader producer community in involved (Vijayan et al 2022;Khoury et al 2014). Further, increasing the diversity of consumer communities, including currently under-represented and indigenous groups, would increase overall marketable products by including a wider range of agricultural products.…”

The shift to plant-based diets as a sustainable food strategy

“…We should move away from the simple maximization of agricultural production and instead optimize biodiversity, conservation and productivity at the same time to facilitate the agricultural transition 1 . This could be possible by documenting and recognizing indigenous knowledge 2 and by taking active measures to protect green agricultural policies in case of unforeseen events 3 . It is essential to adopt multidisciplinary approaches in sustainable agriculture research if we are to design effective policies.…”

Pluralist Ethnobiology: Between Philosophical Reflection and Transdisciplinary Action

“…The plurality of different ways of knowing does not always lead to fruitful integration but can also be marked by epistemic injustices (Fricker 2007) that involve hierarchical interactions in decision-making processes and differential valuations of knowledge systems (Anderson 2012). Rather than assuming harmonious knowledge integration, pluralist ethnobiology needs to recognize that relations between epistemic practices often come with deeply entrenched inequalities such as hierarchies between academic and Indigenous knowledge (Vijayan et al 2022).…”