Since 2022 a unique and inspiring collaboration has flourished between Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon and Swedish research networks. The LUCSUS led project “Knowledge Under the Canopy: Indigenous Knowledges for the Sustainable Forest Fauna Management”, whose research has been funded through Formas, engaged Indigenous women and men through a participatory action research and used knowledge co-creation processes to understand the role of indigenous knowledge systems to sustain the integrity of tropical forest social-ecological systems in the Amazon region. In contrast to the often-narrow focus on tropical forest for carbon storage this project aims to spotlight the complex interconnections under the canopy and share local knowledge on the rich forest fauna and how local livelihoods are dependent on as well as manage this tropical forest fauna as part of broader forest ecosystems, biodiversity and food systems.
This project has made substantial contribution to further how science engages with other forms of expert knowledge and can support the emancipation and empowerment of an important social group whose knowledges have often been dismissed. At a time where all eyes seem to be on the Amazon, a region of outstanding biocultural diversity and of global importance for climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection, the project team in collaboration with Focali - SIANI want to share this knowledge broader, enable mutual learning and facilitate new and continued collaborations.
Ongoing workshop in Colombia 16-19 February
As the research process approaches its conclusion, a strategic and integrative in-person workshop is now taking place close to Bogotá in Colombia to ensure a participatory synthesis and wrap-up for two teams from Colombia’s Vaupés and Amazonas regions who were actively involved in the research (Feb16-18). The last day of the event (Feb 19) will have broader participation from a range of actors to share our insights and showcase what we have done to interested stakeholders from governmental agencies, representatives of various national and international civil society organizations, staff from embassies, as well as Colombian academia. This gathering will not only celebrate the insights gained but also lay the groundwork and establish connections for future collaborations, actions, and new projects inspired by this initiative's experiences. The organizers of the workshop are Carlos Alberto Hernandez Velez PhD Candidate and Torsten Krause Associate Professor both Focali members at LUCSUS - Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies; Maria Ölund Project Manager, Focali–SIANI collaborations.
Update from a unique space for weaving knowledges and new alliances
Below is a short update from Torsten Krause about the first days of the workshop and the hope the project team have for the final concluding day. Below the short update some photos from the first days of the workshop are shared in a photo gallery with short explanations below the gallery. Stay tuned for more to be shared from the workshop, project and the new alliances facilitated as more updates, a video and a policy brief based on the project and workshop.
“We have been here for three days now with our colleagues from Amazonas, Ceima in Vaupes and San Pedro de Tipisca Amazonas. We have been getting to know each other and have had nice exchange, especially the two research teams that have not met before during the project. We are using the time and space to share what we have learnt, what we see as different and what is similar across the two areas. There has been a lot of talk about different types of food and different ways of naming things, we have six languages present besides Spanish. Today we had a larger session and some external guests helping us with the dialogues, asking new questions and helping us summarize what we have discussed and learned so far.
Our hopes now for the big concluding day tomorrow (Feb 19) with additional external actors joining us is that we will not just learn from each other and be able to weave alliances and establish what hopefully is going to be long-term relations with each other. We in addition want to discuss certain points as how science and institutions can work in a more meaningful and respectful way with communities such as integrating their knowledge in decision-making, learning from them, learning from each other so that any kind of natural resource management (or whatever you would like to call it) or any kind of approachment from institutions and science is more inclusive and based on mutual respect but also based on the wisdom and knowledge that different communities across Colombia (but also in other places) already have – that can be very meaningful, important and useful for everybody in the future. So that is the hope for tomorrow that we will have very fruitful discussions and use the space and the time that we have here to learn from each other and get to know each other better so that we can start this journey into the future together in new and mutual respectful alliances.” (Transcribed based on a voice message from by Torsten Krause to Focali, any error in the transcription is due to the transcriber and audio quality.)
Images above are from the beginning of the workshop when intentions and hopes for the workshop was discussed and presentation of all participating the first days. The venue of these discussions and fireside discussions during the workshop is a toroide a representation of a house or place of knowledge and ancestry.
Images above are from seed sharing between the venue and co-facilitators Organizmo and the two research teams from the Amazon and Vaupes regions.
Research team from Vaupés share their knowledge in the workshop. Here they share maps on the distribution of species of birds and mammals, location of different sacred sites, hills, rivers and streams the community Ceima Cachivera.
Sharing of knowledge on forest fauna by the research team from San Pedro de Tipischa in Amazonas. These drawings present different species, their significance, benefits and preventions (related to sustainable management of the forest fauna as part of the broader forest ecosystems).
Sharing of ecological calendars with perceived abundance of different forest fauna species.
Project related publications and video:
van Maurik Matuk, F. A., Verschuuren, B., Morseletto, P., Krause, T., Ludwig, D., Cooke, S. J., Haverroth, M., Maeesters, M., Mattijssen, T. J. M., Keßler, S., Lanza, T. R., Milberg, E., Ming, L. C., Hernández-Vélez, C. A., da Silva, K. M. T., Souza, M. P. V., Souza, V. O., Fernandes, J. W., & dos Reis Carvalho, B. L. (2023). Advancing co-production for transformative change by synthesizing guidance from case studies on the sustainable management and governance of natural resources. Environmental Science & Policy, 149, 103574.
Krause, T., Quiceno-Mesa, M. P., & Matapí Yucuna, U. (2020). Indigenous ecological knowledge in the Colombian Amazon - challenges and prospects for a more sustainable use of local forest fauna. In A. Breidlid & R. Krøvel (Eds.), Indigenous Knowledges and the Sustainable Development Agenda (pp. 236). Routledge.
Krause, T., Tilker, A. How the loss of forest fauna undermines the achievement of the SDGs. Ambio 51, 103–113 (2022). Ambio
Focali interview with Carlos Alberto Hernandez Vélez - weaving of knowledges on forest and wildlife management (IUFRO2024)
Stay tuned for more and connect for any questions!
Besides being very relevant for the objectives and thematic focus of the Focali-SIANI collaboration the event and knowledge outreach from the project and final workshop is further in line with the theme of The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) 2026 “Preserving, strengthening and promoting Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems and traditional practices for sustainable food systems”. Stay tuned for more outreach based on the project and workshop to be shared during 2026!
Main LUCSUS project & workshop contacts carlos.velez@lucsus.lu.se torsten.krause@lucsus.lu.se
Contact for the Focali – SIANI collaboration maria.olund@gu.se