What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology?
Indigenous peoples and local communities are key actors in the preservation of important biodiversity resources around the world. However, the ever-encroaching agricultural frontier and expansion of conventional agricultural practices threaten these communities, their autonomy over the land, and the...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7159/4/1/6 |
| _version_ | 1827306661671337984 |
|---|---|
| author | Evelyn Roberta Nimmo Robson Laverdi Alessandra Izabel de Carvalho |
| author_facet | Evelyn Roberta Nimmo Robson Laverdi Alessandra Izabel de Carvalho |
| author_sort | Evelyn Roberta Nimmo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indigenous peoples and local communities are key actors in the preservation of important biodiversity resources around the world. However, the ever-encroaching agricultural frontier and expansion of conventional agricultural practices threaten these communities, their autonomy over the land, and the traditional knowledge and practices associated with biodiverse ecosystems. Agroecology emerges as an important solution to support the continuation of agrobiodiversity, food security, and environmental conservation, but top-down solutions often do not resonate with the lived realities of traditional, Indigenous, and small-scale farming communities. This paper examines a collaborative research and narrative network developed over the past several years around traditional erva-mate agroforestry production in Southern Paraná, Brazil. It offers an example of how oral environmental history and public history can support conservation practices through agroecology. The key outcomes of this interdisciplinary, multi-dimensional research and engagement were the development of a candidacy for the system to be recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the implementation of a Dynamic Conservation Action Plan to address the threats and challenges farmers and communities are facing. The discussion explores two concepts that were integral to these processes, the creation of narrative networks and a focus on plurivocity. Both approaches ensured that the actions, knowledge, and narratives developed through the GIAHS candidacy were not imposed but agreed upon and generative through narrative and dialogue, remaining true to the realities and lived experiences of community members. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:25:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe166ae744924f19962eb47522c40383 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-7159 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:25:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe166ae744924f19962eb47522c403832024-03-27T13:32:11ZengMDPI AGConservation2673-71592024-02-0141829710.3390/conservation4010006What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology?Evelyn Roberta Nimmo0Robson Laverdi1Alessandra Izabel de Carvalho2Post-Graduate Program in History, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa CEP 84030-900, PR, BrazilPost-Graduate Program in History, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa CEP 84030-900, PR, BrazilPost-Graduate Program in History, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa CEP 84030-900, PR, BrazilIndigenous peoples and local communities are key actors in the preservation of important biodiversity resources around the world. However, the ever-encroaching agricultural frontier and expansion of conventional agricultural practices threaten these communities, their autonomy over the land, and the traditional knowledge and practices associated with biodiverse ecosystems. Agroecology emerges as an important solution to support the continuation of agrobiodiversity, food security, and environmental conservation, but top-down solutions often do not resonate with the lived realities of traditional, Indigenous, and small-scale farming communities. This paper examines a collaborative research and narrative network developed over the past several years around traditional erva-mate agroforestry production in Southern Paraná, Brazil. It offers an example of how oral environmental history and public history can support conservation practices through agroecology. The key outcomes of this interdisciplinary, multi-dimensional research and engagement were the development of a candidacy for the system to be recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the implementation of a Dynamic Conservation Action Plan to address the threats and challenges farmers and communities are facing. The discussion explores two concepts that were integral to these processes, the creation of narrative networks and a focus on plurivocity. Both approaches ensured that the actions, knowledge, and narratives developed through the GIAHS candidacy were not imposed but agreed upon and generative through narrative and dialogue, remaining true to the realities and lived experiences of community members.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7159/4/1/6oral historyenvironmental historyagroecologyconservationagrobiodiversitypublic history |
| spellingShingle | Evelyn Roberta Nimmo Robson Laverdi Alessandra Izabel de Carvalho What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? Conservation oral history environmental history agroecology conservation agrobiodiversity public history |
| title | What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? |
| title_full | What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? |
| title_fullStr | What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? |
| title_short | What Is the Role of Public History and Environmental Oral History in Supporting Conservation through Agroecology? |
| title_sort | what is the role of public history and environmental oral history in supporting conservation through agroecology |
| topic | oral history environmental history agroecology conservation agrobiodiversity public history |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7159/4/1/6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evelynrobertanimmo whatistheroleofpublichistoryandenvironmentaloralhistoryinsupportingconservationthroughagroecology AT robsonlaverdi whatistheroleofpublichistoryandenvironmentaloralhistoryinsupportingconservationthroughagroecology AT alessandraizabeldecarvalho whatistheroleofpublichistoryandenvironmentaloralhistoryinsupportingconservationthroughagroecology |