Supporting Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture through neglected and underutilized species: Operational framework

This joint Bioversity-IFAD publication was developed to guide IFAD and other agencies’ efforts in leveraging neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in support of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture. It presents a holistic value chain approach for the use enhancement of these local resources in project design and implementation in order to attain more resilient production and food systems. It also highlights ways by which their better use can contribute towards the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, including women an Indigenous Peoples, who play an essential role in safeguarding their genetic diversity and associated traditional knowledge

Soutenir une agriculture axée sur la nutrition grâce aux espèces négligées et sous-utilisées

This joint Bioversity-IFAD publication was developed to guide IFAD and other agencies’ efforts in leveraging neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in support of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture. It presents a holistic value chain approach for the use enhancement of these local resources in project design and implementation in order to attain more resilient production and food systems. It also highlights ways by which their better use can contribute towards the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, including women an Indigenous Peoples, who play an essential role in safeguarding their genetic diversity and associated traditional knowledge

Soutenir une agriculture axée sur la nutrition grâce aux espèces négligées et sous-utilisées: Cadre opérationnel.

This joint Bioversity-IFAD publication was developed to guide IFAD and other agencies’ efforts in leveraging neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in support of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture. It presents a holistic value chain approach for the use enhancement of these local resources in project design and implementation in order to attain more resilient production and food systems. It also highlights ways by which their better use can contribute towards the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, including women an Indigenous Peoples, who play an essential role in safeguarding their genetic diversity and associated traditional knowledge

Apoyando una Agricultura Sensible a la Nutrición, a través de especies olvidadas y subutilizadas: Marco operacional.

This joint Bioversity-IFAD publication was developed to guide IFAD and other agencies’ efforts in leveraging neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in support of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture. It presents a holistic value chain approach for the use enhancement of these local resources in project design and implementation in order to attain more resilient production and food systems. It also highlights ways by which their better use can contribute towards the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, including women an Indigenous Peoples, who play an essential role in safeguarding their genetic diversity and associated traditional knowledge

Apoyando una Agricultura Sensible a la Nutrición, a través de especies olvidadas y subutilizadas: Marco operacional

This joint Bioversity-IFAD publication was developed to guide IFAD and other agencies’ efforts in leveraging neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in support of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture. It presents a holistic value chain approach for the use enhancement of these local resources in project design and implementation in order to attain more resilient production and food systems. It also highlights ways by which their better use can contribute towards the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, including women an Indigenous Peoples, who play an essential role in safeguarding their genetic diversity and associated traditional knowledge

Cosmovisión Maya reflejada en palabras y conceptos relacionados con desarrollo sostenible, ecología y agroecología

Yucatec Maya world vision reflects an ecological dimension present in words and concepts that guide their management decisions in their traditional food production systems. Professionals working in different activities related to sustainable community development, require good understanding of agroecological concepts in Maya, especially in their interaction/conversations with local Maya people. This paper explores conspicuous ecological concepts in Maya language used in traditional systems such as the milpa and contrasts them with concepts used in academic papers related to natural resources management. The ecological/agroecological concepts analyzed are ecosystem, dynamic equilibrium, niche, competition, carrying capacity, sustainability/resilience and participatory action research.  La cosmovisión de los Mayas Yucatecos refleja una dimensión ecológica tal y como se muestra a través de palabras y conceptos que guían el manejo de sus sistemas de producción de alimentos. Las actividades de diferentes profesionistas relacionadas con el desarrollo comunitario sostenible, en poblaciones maya-hablantes de la península de Yucatán, requieren del uso de términos ecológicos en su interacción con los pobladores. El presente trabajo hace una exploración de los términos ecológicos más conspicuos en lengua Maya, usados en contextos prácticos por maya-hablantes en sistemas tradicionales como la milpa, y los compara con el uso de esos conceptos en publicaciones académicas relacionadas con el manejo de recursos naturales. Los conceptos ecológicos/agroecológicos analizados son: ecosistema, equilibrio dinámico, nicho, competencia, capacidad de carga, sostenibilidad/resiliencia e investigación acción participativa.La cosmovisión de los Mayas Yucatecos refleja una dimensión ecológica tal y como se muestra a través de palabras y conceptos que guían el manejo de sus sistemas de producción de alimentos. Las actividades de diferentes profesionistas relacionadas con el desarrollo comunitario sostenible, en poblaciones maya-hablantes de la península de Yucatán, requieren del uso de términos ecológicos en su interacción con los pobladores. El presente trabajo hace una exploración de los términos ecológicos más conspicuos en lengua Maya, usados en contextos prácticos por maya-hablantes en sistemas tradicionales como la milpa, y los compara con el uso de esos conceptos en publicaciones académicas relacionadas con el manejo de recursos naturales. Los conceptos ecológicos/agroecológicos analizados son: ecosistema, equilibrio dinámico, nicho, competencia, capacidad de carga, sostenibilidad/resiliencia e investigación acción participativa

Indigenous participation in intercultural education:learning from Mexico and Tanzania

Intercultural education seeks to create a forum for integrating Western scientific knowledge and indigenous knowledge to address local and global challenges such as biocultural diversity conservation, natural resource management, and social justice for indigenous peoples. Intercultural education is based on learning together with, rather than learning about or from, indigenous communities. In the best examples, problem-based learning dissolves the dichotomy between indigenous and nonindigenous, resulting in full partnerships in which participants share expertise to meet mutual needs. With reference to literature and two illustrative examples of intercultural education initiatives in Mexico and Tanzania, we present an original conceptual framework for assessing indigenous participation in intercultural education. This incorporates a new ladder of participation depth (in relation to both curriculum content and decision making) alongside separate considerations of breadth, i.e., stakeholder diversity, and scope, i.e., the number of key project stages in which certain stakeholder groups are participating. The framework can be used to compare intercultural education initiatives in differing contexts and might be adaptable to other intercultural work

Agroecology: promoting the transition towards sustainability

En este artículo se define agroecología como la aplicación de los conceptos y prinicipios ecológicos al diseño y manejo de los sistemas alimentarios sostenibles. Se presentan los argumentos principales que sostienen la validez, importancia y pertinencia del enfoque agroecológico, no solo para entender los procesos involucrados en la producción de alimentos, sino para proponer alternativas que conduzcan a esos procesos para operar en sistemas sostenibles. El concepto clave, que guía el razonamiento metodológico y epistemológico en este análisis, es el de sostenibilidad. Para alcanzar sostenibilidad la metodología agroecológica no solo se ancla en la Ecología, lo cual se describe en el trabajo, sino que percibe la producción de alimentos como un proceso que involucra a los productores y consumidores interactuando en forma dinámica.In this article agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems. The principal arguments are presented that support the validity, importance, and application of the agroecologial focus, not only in order to understand the processes involved in food production, but also to propose alternatives that help these processes to operate in sustainable systems. The key concept that guides the methodological and epitistemalogical rationale of this analysis is sustainability. In order to achieve sustainability the agroecological methodology not only links to Ecology, as is described in the text, but perceives food production as a process involving producers and consumers operating in a dynamic interaction

Formación universitaria de agroecólogos mayas. Un enfoque intercultural

El programa de ingeniería en agroecología en la Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo, asumió que “el modelo educativo intercultural y su adecuada articulación con la pedagogía y arreglo institucional, son factores determinantes de éxito”. En el periodo examinado, de 2007 a 2015, cerca del 100% de los estudiantes fueron de origen Maya; entre 2007 a 2010 alrededor del 85% de ellos fueron los primeros en sus familias o comunidades en buscar un título universitario. Otros indicadores son: retención mayor al 80%, titulación del 100% y más del 90% de egresados obtuvieron un empleo en alrededor de seis meses después de su graduación. El programa alcan- zó el nivel más alto de calidad, a nivel nacional, en 2013 mediante la evaluación de los Comités Interinstitucionales de Evaluación de la Educación Superior en México. Estos datos adquieren mayor relevancia debido a que la evaluación de nuestros estudiantes, al ingresar a la UIMQRoo, estuvo por debajo de la media nacional. Entre los elementos del modelo están: la figura de abue- lo tutor para cada estudiante y sabios locales formalmente incorporados como profesores; un taller de desarrollo humano como parte de la formación básica, integración del nivel profesional asociado con licenciatura y el trabajo continuo con la comunidad; todos ellos articulados con una pedagogía que descansó en investigación acción participativa enfatizando la inducción sobre la deducción

The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade’s conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity