Biodiversity and local ecological knowledge in France

Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, which brought indigenous and local communities to center stage at the international level, ordinary people regained a fundamental role in environmental issues. Their activities are no longer criticized. Their knowledge and know-how of nature, which was long disparaged, has now been revived and propelled to the center of initiatives for the conservation and exploitation of biodiversity.

This growing interest at all levels, from the local to the international, is generating significant demand for information, case studies and research. The examples given are predominantly from the English-speaking world and Latin America, and are often limited to issues relating to indigenousness. In France, these questions are still struggling to gain recognition.

On the other hand, approaches based on the concepts of heritage and the terroir have been developed, thus making it possible to better understand, conserve and exploit ecological knowledge and associated biodiversity.

This book presents original contributions about the French experience, written by researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, by experts and by politicians. It opens the way to collective, concise and critical thinking, and is aimed not only at negotiators, but also at anyone with an interest in local and indigenous ecological knowledge, with the intention of fuelling debate, especially on the international scene.