Beyond participation: How to achieve the recognition of local communities’ value‐systems in conservation? Some insights from Mexico

Abstract

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Inclusive conservation and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: Tensions and prospects

“…27 However, legal frameworks, skewed distribution of financial resources, and a lack of sensitivity to local cultural norms can obscure or impede the consideration of relational values of equity and justice in conservation planning. 72 The tension between recognizing versus reducing plurality becomes more complicated when eliciting the values of various land management sectors and seeking to manage trade-offs related to use of natural resources coupled with management of native species. 73 Harma ´ ckova ´et al 29 found that, although stakeholders from different land management sectors could balance diverse visions, including cultural heritage, economic development, rural lifestyle, and providing space for wilderness and managed/cultural landscapes, conflicts emerged more frequently when seeking to balance management options associated with each vision.…”

Advancing procedural justice in conservation

“…Fostering procedural justice in conservation decision‐making using this framework requires first considering underlying value systems and power inequalities that shape recognition issues. For example, to properly recognize and integrate traditional knowledge in decision‐making processes, it is essential to critically reflect on the underpinning value systems that render some forms of knowledge more valuable than others in conservation (Guibrunet et al., 2021). Doing so may require the creation of spaces and the development of skills to reflect on knowledge hierarchies and broader scale power dynamics.…”

“…First, fostering structural change in conservation decision‐making processes through employing “transformative approaches” that encourage stakeholders to critically address existing social norms and power structures (Mangubhai & Lawless, 2021). Second, challenging the value system that underpins mainstream conservation actions and creating legal frameworks that legitimize alternative knowledges and plural values in conservation (Guibrunet et al., 2021). Third, addressing power inequalities embedded in the conservation community, such as those existing among researchers and local communities.…”

“…For instance, participatory action research can promote fair research practices by promoting all dimensions of procedural justice (Figure 1) and challenging broader power relations and structures (Apgar & Douthwaite, 2013). Fourth, the conservation community (including importantly, donors who often shape the agenda of conservation practice; Guibrunet et al., 2021) should exercise self‐reflexivity. Each of these steps is critical to fostering procedural justice in conservation, including via decolonization science and practice.…”

Overcoming Key Barriers for Secondary Cloud Forest Management in Mexico

“…In the case of secondary tropical forests elsewhere, an important constraint lies in technocratic legal frameworks that restrict local use, especially for smallholders [72], who have difficulty covering the high transaction costs. Discussion regarding the regulation of secondary forest management in Mexico has focused on lowland tropical rain forests (e.g., [72,73]), while the management of other secondary vegetation has remained largely ignored.…”