The deliberate maintenance of diversity in domesticated and non-domesticated plants and animals characterizes farming systems across the African continent as well as in most other parts of the world, providing an important opportunity for systematic in situ maintenance of genetic resources. Today, however, a growing number of African governments and international development agencies are recognizing that local-level knowledge and organizations provide the foundation for participatory approaches to development that are both cost-effective and sustainable. Indigenous knowledge, particularly in the African context, has long been ignored and maligned by outsiders.
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This presentation provides an overview of recent studies that clearly portray the active role that rural communities in Africa and other parts of the world have played in (a) generating knowledge based on a sophisticated understanding of their environment, (b) devising mechanisms to conserve and sustain their natural resources, and (c) establishing community-based organizations that serve as forums for identifying problems and dealing with them through local-level experimentation, innovation, and exchange of information with other societies. Very little of this knowledge has been recorded, yet it represents an immensely valuable data base that provides humankind with insights on how numerous communities have interacted with their changing environment including its floral and faunal resources. Of equal concern to many world citizens is the uncertain status of the indigenous knowledge that reflects many generations of experience and problem-solving by thousands of ethnic groups across the globe. Global awareness of the crisis concerning the conservation of biodiversity is assured following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity are complementary phenomena essential to human development. Local Initiatives and Institutional Roles International Conference on Conservation of Biodiversity in Africa: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 USA
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Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity Conservation and DevelopmentĬenter for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development Keynote address at the International Conference on Conservation of Biodiversity in Africa: Local Initiatives and Institutional Roles, 30 August-3 September 1992, Nairobi, Kenya. Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity conservation and development. Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity Conservation and Development Reproduced, with permission, from: