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.
News and blogs
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.
Mountain communities call for stronger action to counter climate change
28 Jun 2016
As half of the world's population relies on mountains for their water, 18 indigenous mountain communities call for support to strengthen traditional natural resource management systems.
Peak changes: Article on the INMIP workshop in Tajikistan
02 Jun 2016
Stockholm Resilience Centre speaks to Pernilla Malmer about a "walking workshop" of the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP) in Tajikistan, September 2015, and the importance of knowledge exchange for revitalising communities' biocultural heritage and developing tools for sustainable development in the face of climate change.
TWN Info: Some Important Provisions in China’s Revised Seed Law
TWN Info Service on Intellectual Property and Agriculture
4 March 2016
China’s revised Seed Law was adopted on 4 November 2015 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the law went into effect as of 1 January 2016. The revision process lasted almost 3 years and the revision of some provisions has raised nationwide attention and debate among the industry, agricultural departments of all levels, research institutions and civil society groups.
New film documents indigenous mountain community network
29 Feb 2016
This 30 minute film, produced by indigenous filmmakers in Taiwan, documents the emergence of a new global indigenous network - the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP) - at a ‘walking workshop’ in Bhutan in May-June 2014. The network aims to strengthen the capacity of indigenous mountain communities to confront climate change through exchange of indigenous knowledge and seeds, and strengthening biocultural heritage and indigenous farming systems.
The Paris Agreement – a framework for local inclusion
05 Feb 2016
The Paris Agreement commits governments to climate action. To deliver this agenda successfully, they must engage with all sectors of society, including indigenous peoples, and recognise traditional knowledge.
COP 21: Indigenous spiritual and cultural values to guide climate change adaptation
09 Dec 2015
Respect for the spiritual values and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples is a key component in the response to climate change, as was today asserted by an agreement between the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE) of Union Theological Seminary, the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia University, and the Indigenous Peoples Biocultural Assessments Initiative (IPBCCA) of Asociacion ANDES.
Mountain communities being devastated by extreme climate impacts
18 Nov 2015
For those mountain communities living at the extreme edges of the world, climate change is already a very real threat. Researchers are calling for vulnerable communities to be given special consideration in the Paris negotiations next month.
Mountain communities rebuild diverse, climate-resilient crops
06 Oct 2015
The Sustainable Development Goals have been agreed, but for mountain communities around the world this action can't come quickly enough. Climate change is already here, threatening their food security, nutrition and livelihoods.
Climate Change and Mountain Communities Meeting
14 Sep 2015
This week, from 11-18th September, indigenous mountain farmers from 20 communities in 10 countries are meeting in Tajikistan to assess the impacts of climate change and identify responses needed.
Brazil's first community protocol: the Bailique experience
25 Aug 2015
A remote community in the Amazon has agreed Brazil's first community protocol, giving them an equal voice in future discussions about natural resource use.
Consultation: designing a new biocultural heritage indication
20 Aug 2015
How can indigenous people benefit more from their biocultural heritage? A new project wants to hear your feedback on how a labelling scheme for biocultural heritage-based products could work.
Biocultural Heritage: The Foundation of a Sustainable Economy
06 Jul 2015
Article by Claudia Múnera, originally published by The Daly News | March 17th 2014
Research in Nicaragua suggests that recognising the value of biocultural heritage is key to protecting forests from economic pressures.
New film highlights mountain communities' climate workshop
19 May 2015
IIED has released a film showcasing an event where mountain communities discussed the impacts of climate change and how to respond using their biocultural heritage
New film highlights mountain communities' climate workshop
18 May 2015
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has released a film showcasing an event where mountain communities discussed the impacts of climate change and how to respond using their biocultural heritage.
China’s Farmer Seed Network
18 Mar 2015
The second annual meeting of China’s “National Farmers’ In-Site Breeding and Seed-Sharing Network” was held on January 11-13 2015, in Guangxi. It brought together farmers from several provinces, leading crop scientists, policy makers and China’s Soybean Industry Association.
'Guardians of Diversity' film in Spanish and Chinese
13 Feb 2015
A film documenting an international meeting of indigenous farmers in Peru's Potato Park to discuss adaptation to climate change is now available in Spanish and Chinese.