From local landscapes to international policy: contributions of the biocultural paradigm to global sustainability

Non-technical summary

Nature and culture are intricately linked and the rapid loss of both biological and cultural diversity around the globe has led to increasing concerns about its effects on sustainability. Important efforts to understand biocultural relations and bolster sustainable practices have been made by scientists, local communities, civil society organizations and policy makers. In spite of their efforts, a stronger articulation between sectors and biocultural discourses is needed for a broader transformative impact. Here, we analyse the connections between prominent biocultural discourses and discuss how the biocultural paradigm can contribute to both local and global sustainability.

Technical summary

Biocultural diversity refers to the interdependence between biological and cultural diversity, indicating how significant ensembles of biological diversity are managed, conserved and created by different cultural groups. In the face of the rapid decline of both biological and cultural diversity around the globe, biocultural discourses produced by scientists, practitioners and policy makers have attempted to promote knowledge and actions that contribute to halt such losses. We propose that biocultural approaches, collectively referred to as the biocultural paradigm, can contribute to both local and global sustainability but that a stronger articulation between sectors and biocultural discourses is needed for a broader transformative impact. We analyse some of the main differences and connections between prominent biocultural discourses in the context of sustainability. We propose that biocultural approaches should recognize and articulate an ontological dimension of biocultural diversity, an epistemological dimension through systems thinking, and an ethico-political dimension taking explicitly into account plural values, governance systems and power relations. Ontological, epistemological and ethico-political dimensions of the biocultural paradigm are interconnected and manifested through cultural practices and power relations embedded in specific biocultural landscapes.