Biocultural heritage territories: key to halting biodiversity loss
23 Sep 2020
A new briefing examines the importance of biocultural heritage territories, whose communities are custodians of biodiversity.
News and blogs
Resilient food systems and COVID-19: lessons for a Just Transition
22 May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed huge vulnerabilities and inequalities in food systems. They are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: to droughts, floods, typhoons, sea-level rise – the current locust outbreak in East Africa. But they are also part of the problem, contributing about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and being highly inequitable too. Krystyna Swiderska spells out what needs to change.
Protecting indigenous cultures is crucial for saving the world’s biodiversity
18 Feb 2020
2020 is being hailed as a ‘super year’ for nature, with a series of major international events looking at how we can stop the decline of wildlife and natural ecosystems. IIED’s Krystyna Swiderska argues that saving biodiversity can’t succeed without working to save indigenous cultures.
Biocultural heritage features on environment podcast
23 Aug 2019
Biocultural heritage and indigenous people's capacity for climate adaption were highlighted in the latest Green Heritage Futures podcast, a digital audio programme that focuses on cultural heritage and climate change.
Mountain communities stress the importance of biocultural heritage for global food security
15 Feb 2019
Ahead of an intergovernmental forum on biodiversity and food security, the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples has published a report highlighting the importance of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge for climate adaptation.
The Fourth Learning exchange of the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples, April 2017
05 Dec 2018
This short film provides a glimpse into a 4-day horizontal learning exchange which took place in the Potato Park Peru in April 2017, bringing together representatives of indigenous mountain communities from 11 countries.
Three ‘E’s to guide the post-2020 biodiversity roadmap
07 Nov 2018
Joji Cariño sets out three key principles that could underpin a new biodiversity deal where humans and nature work in harmony – and explains why indigenous peoples and local communities will be key in shaping this deal.
Q&A: Women in rural India are nature’s guardians
06 Nov 2018
Reetu Sogani describes the special bond between women in India and the country’s natural resources – a connection that positions them as key preservers and managers of biodiversity. Despite this, women’s voices often go unheard in policies intended to support biodiversity conservation.
As climate changes, Himalayan farmers return to traditional crops
29 Oct 2018
Traditional crops and innovations are offering farmers in the Himalayan region a way to deal with the challenges of climate change, but there is much work to be done for this to become a truly viable alternative.
Q&A: Why indigenous seed-saving women are the stewards of biodiversity
22 Oct 2018
In the latest in blog in the 'Women champions of biodiversity' series, Krystyna Swiderska discusses how women are sustaining biodiverse farming by combining traditional knowledge and innovation to protect local seed systems.
Biocultural heritage landscape to be established in Eastern Himalayas
30 Nov 2017
New biocultural heritage landscape will protect rich biodiversity and cultural identities of indigenous communities.
Film: Quechua farmers take their potato seeds to Svalbard
11 Sep 2017
The story of a spiritual journey made by Quechua farmers bringing their cherished potato seeds from the Potato Park, in the high Andes of Peru, to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on a remote island halfway between Norway and the North Pole, has been documented in a film.
Mountain indigenous peoples call for support for biocultural landscapes to achieve the SDGs
28 Jun 2017
The International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples has called for support and legal protection for biocultural heritage landscapes and community conserved areas following an event in Peru.
New film reports on Mountain Agriculture Policy Dialogue
24 May 2017
TV news reports on the Policy Dialogue organised by IIED and Lok Chetna Manch in West Bengal, India
New film shows Chinese mountain communities protecting biocultural heritage
14 Mar 2017
A new film tells stories from inhabitants of the Stone Village in China, home to 220 Naxi ethnic families and a living example of the value of conserving biocultural heritage.
Film shows diverse food heritage of Thailand's Karen hill tribes
08 Feb 2017
The film “The Making of Rotational Farming” shows the extraordinary diversity of food produced by just one community
Designing a biocultural heritage labelling system: survey results
16 Jan 2017
Our survey found broad support for a labelling scheme for biocultural heritage-based products. Now we need to get a pilot project off the ground.
Indigenous people use own knowledge to boost food yields despite climate change, research finds
22 Nov 2016
New research shows how indigenous communities are fine-tuning traditional knowledge to mitigate the risks of climate change.
Biocultural heritage territories film now in Spanish
30 Aug 2016
A stunning photofilm profiling biocultural heritage territories in Peru, China and India is now available in Spanish.
Mountain peoples call for support to protect traditional knowledge
04 Jul 2016
Representatives of mountain communities in five countries have called for support to help them maintain traditional ways of protecting their landscapes and natural resources in the face of climate change.