Biodiversity research and conservation in Colombia (1990–2010): the marginalization of indigenous peoples’ rights

Protecting Indigenous and Local Knowledge Through a Biocultural Diversity Framework

“…Amendments proposed to IPR and ABS thus far, do not address IPLMLC´s concerns, such as their knowledge and practices associated with sacred plants and their spiritual relationship with their natural environment. Strengthening states’ sovereignty rights through ABS or individual private interest through IPR imperils the collective rights of Indigenous and local communities over their ILK (Hossain & Ballardini 2021; Nemogá, 2014a; 2014b; Schroeder et al, 2020; Torres, 2014). Although the IPR and ABS frameworks have explored diverse options relevant to IPLMLC, they fall short of providing protection to the sacred and spiritual dimensions of ILK, its collective nature, its transmission mechanisms, its imprescriptible character, and its role for biodiversity conservation.…”

“…The commercial use of ILK and biological resources is growing in megadiverse countries (Afanadaor et al, 2014; Beattie et al, 2002; Mgbeoji, 2006; Velez-Torres, 2014) without fair and equitable distribution of benefits. There is mounting recognition for ILK in international environmental fora, but national biodiversity conservation policies, which are rooted in biological and economic perspectives, concede marginal recognition and participation of IPLMLC (Deranger, 2021; Nemogá, 2014a; 2014b; Xu et al, 2021). One of the main shortcomings in addressing the protection of ILK is that it is often envisioned as a body of useful data that can be extracted, stored, fragmented, and used, separate from peoples’ ways of life.…”

Green Passion Afloat

“…But the country has a significant and growing environmental movement that opposes such tendencies (Escobar 1998;Oslender 2004; http://intercambioclimatico.com/ es/itemlist/tag/Colombia.htm) and a vibrant informal recycling sector (Vergara, Damgaard, and Gomez 2016). The particular environmental challenges faced by indigenous and Afro-Colombians have seen social movements organize around collective versus individual and corporate rights over everything from biotechnology to river banks (Nemogá 2014;Velasco 2016). When the venerable research and agitprop multinational Greenpeace set up shop there in 2009, rather than simply channelling global corporate campaigns, it focused on issues of particular pertinence to Colombia, notably the páramos (moorlands) of the Sierra Nevadas and Andes.…”