Side Event

Biocultural heritage: from concept to practice. New policy instruments for times of uncertainty and change

Organizer
International Institute for Environment and Development

Date and Time
1 January 0001 0:0 - 0:0

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

Ensuring the effective implementation of articles 8(j) and 10 (c ) is critical for achieving the CBD objectives at local level. Traditional knowledge and customary use are closely inter-linked, and are themselves dependent on biodiversity, landscapes, customary laws and cultural and spiritual values. Together these elements make up the ‘biocultural heritage’ of indigenous people and local communities. This side event will present new local policy instruments to protect, preserve and maintain TK and biocultural systems as a whole. These include: • ‘biocultural indications’ to protect Quechua novel products in the Potato Park Peru; • participatory plant breeding and ABS agreements to promote and protect TK-based innovations in SW China; and • use of the concept of biocultural heritage by the eastern Himalayan Lepchas to secure a place in the political struggle. Presentations will be made by Krystyna Swiderska (IIED), Alejandro Argumedo (ANDES, Peru), Ruchi Pant (India) and Yiching Song (Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy). The side event will also launch a major new EC project “Smallholder innovation for resilience: strengthening innovation systems for food securing in the face of climate change”. This project explores the role of biocultural heritage in adaptation by communities in Peru, China, India and Kenya. It provides a vehicle for the international Biocultural Heritage Think Tank to continue. Key findings from the baseline studies will be presented.