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Global recognition of indigenous knowledge: is this the latest phase of 'globalization'?

by Pablo B. Eyzaguirre

Pablo B. Eyzaguirre, Senior scientist, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome Italy (for more information on IK Journals and agrobiodiversity registers contact Paul Quek P.Quek@cgiar.org or P.Eyzaguirre@cgiar.org)

Indigenous knowledge (IK) in the form of local know-how and cultural practices is the set of tools that communities use to manage their natural resources, which include genetic resources, the building blocks of biodiversity and agriculture. Given the importance of this role it is no wonder that an increasing number of global institutions are now concerned with defending, promoting and using IK more widely. Recognition of indigenous knowledge of biodiversity has now moved into areas people would least have expected back in the days when this journal was a lone voice bridging the scientific and development communities through the application of IK in natural resources management. Recently the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has recognized the applications of traditional knowledge (TK) and the need to acknowledge local systems of innovation and intellectual property. WIPO's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore and the World Bank's growing investment in the application and dissemination of IK through fora such as the Development Gateway are stunning evidence of how far IK has moved onto global development and biodiversity agendas.

Is this the 'globalization' of IK? Recognition by powerful global agencies that support knowledge generation and dissemination, as well as the regulation and allocation of rights to that knowledge, brings with it both opportunities and dangers. The global recognition or "globalization" of IK is creating a greater demand to access and use the knowledge as widely as possible. But this may occur with little support for the maintenance of local cultural processes, livelihood practices, community access and control over the natural resources that underpin IK. Researchers, but most importantly, indigenous and local communities themselves, have affirmed that IK is embedded in local cultures, cosmologies and local ways of doing, particularly managing the environment to secure their livelihoods. Taking 'validated' nuggets of IK out of its cultural context may satisfy an outside researcher's need, or even solve a technical problem in development, but it may undermine the knowledge system itself. If we wish to avoid having the growing global awareness of the value of indigenous and traditional knowledge lead to the 'globalization' and eventual erosion of IK/TK (along with the cultures and environments that produce it) we must focus this global attention on efforts to empower local communities to manage and document their own IK.

This documentation and transmission of IK needs to be done in the local cultural context and in the media that communities find most appropriate. An experiment in the area of agrobiodiversity and plant genetic resources involves farming communities and scientists in southwest China, Malaysia, and Kenya developing their own 'IK Journals' using local cultural idioms and simple media and information technologies. Scientists wishing to access this knowledge can cite it but not extract it out of its cultural context. Examples of other community-managed efforts to keep IK embedded in local cultures, such as agrobiodiversity registers developed for in situ conservation in Peru and Nepal, are also encouraging as are experiences with memory banking by local community experts in the Philippines. IK systems are the knowledge assets of local communities living from the direct use of physical and biological resources. An important role we have as scientists, users and defenders of this knowledge is to protect the local cultural processes that have generated this rich body of environmental knowhow so that local peoples can continue to survive and hopefully prosper in their unique ecosystems.

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