Resources

This report examines global and national environmental policies and laws that can help Indigenous communities seeking to conserve their territories and biocultural heritage.

Este informe analiza diversas políticas y leyes medioambientales, tanto a nivel mundial como nacional, que pueden ayudar a las comunidades indígenas que desean conservar sus territorios y su patrimonio biocultural.

This short film showcases work to establish a self-governed biocultural heritage territory to protect sacred Kaya forests and surrounding landscapes in Rabai, coastal Kenya. It shows the importance of strengthening traditional knowledge, agrobiodiversity and customary institutions to enhance conservation and livelihoods.

This declaration calls for action to implement the International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources’ provisions on Farmers’ Rights and strengthen support for Indigenous territories that protect critical centres of origin and ecosystems in the Andes.

Esta declaración exige la adopción de medidas para aplicar las disposiciones del Tratado Internacional sobre los Recursos Fitogenéticos relativas a los derechos de los agricultores y reforzar el apoyo a los territorios indígenas que protegen centros de origen y ecosistemas fundamentales en los Andes.

This journal article explores how the wellbeing concepts, worldviews, values, customary laws and traditional livelihoods of different Indigenous Peoples and local communities contribute to nature conservation and equity and how they are recognised by different community actors.

A report from a learning exchange and community dialogue that brought together ten Rabai villages that have decided to establish a collectively governed biocultural heritage territory to conserve their Kaya forest landscapes and unique culture.

The concept of ‘biocultural heritage’ was first proposed by the Indigenous NGO ANDES (Peru) and Quechua communities in the Potato Park in 2005. To mark this 20th anniversary, and share the lessons and tools from this work, IIED has worked with ANDES and partners to update this website.

This is a first draft that will be further refined with community members of the Biocultural Heritage Initiative, notably the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP).

IIED and Asociacion ANDES project (began 2024) supporting Indigenous communities in the Southern Peruvian Andes to defend their rights to land by leveraging biocultural heritage territories.

Workshop report on a new project to scale up the Potato Park model in indigenous communities that wish to protect their biocultural wealth and pursue alternatives to extractive operations in the Peruvian Andes.

Key discussions and reflections from the sixth global learning exchange of the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples.

At a learning exchange and community dialogue organised by Rabai community and IIED on 24-25 March 2025, 10 villages agreed to revive clan meetings and hold monthly dialogues to restore traditional knowledge and culture relating to Kaya forest conservation, agrobiodiversity and more.

Insights from a series of internal talks by Indigenous and grassroots partners, peer organisations and majority-world thinkers on how IIED can decolonise its research programmes and become anti-racist.

Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report

As world leaders prepare to gather for major summits on biodiversity and climate change – COP16 in Colombia and COP29 in Azerbaijan – Indigenous Peoples and local communities are calling for greater support for their tried and tested solutions.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are calling for greater support for their tried and tested solutions

Workshop report summarises the key discussions and reflections

Leaders at COP29 urged to ‘significantly’ increase funding given directly to groups conserving precious resources and ecosystems

Report from learning exchange of the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples

PDF of an informal summary of the key elements of the treaty for Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Report presents five policy recommendations from the Sino-German Agrobiodiversity Network

Mountains crucial to halting nature loss and addressing climate change

IIED, INMIP, ANDES (Peru) and partners organised side events at two global policy meetings on traditional knowledge and genetic resources

IIED insight on supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities to strengthen and protect their territories and cultures

Project workshop report reviewing progress and challenges with establishing a collectively governed biocultural heritage territory in Rabai, Kenya

From 22-24 March 2023, 10,000 people gathered in New York for the UN Water Conference, hosted by the Netherlands and Tajikistan, to scale up action to address the water crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.

Shared labels used by smallholder producers can promote biocultural diversity, build climate resilience and drive social justice. An IIED report explores trailblazing shared label initiatives by smallholder organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Insight by Krystyna Swiderska and Alejandro Argumedo