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The Contribution of Traditional Agroecological Knowledge as a Digital Commons to Agroecological Transitions: The Case of the CONECT-e Platform

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  • Laura Calvet-Mir

    (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss, 5. Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Castelldefels, 08860 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, 08193 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Petra Benyei

    (Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, 08193 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Laura Aceituno-Mata

    (Red de Semillas “Resembrando e Intercambiando”, Caracola del Cir, Parque de San Jerónimo s/n, 41015 Sevilla, Spain)

  • Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana

    (Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin, 2. Ciudad Universiaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain)

  • Daniel López-García

    (Fundación Entretantos, Calle Antonio Lorenzo Hurtado, 1, 47014 Valladolid, Spain)

  • María Carrascosa-García

    (Red de Semillas “Resembrando e Intercambiando”, Caracola del Cir, Parque de San Jerónimo s/n, 41015 Sevilla, Spain)

  • Antonio Perdomo-Molina

    (Red de Semillas “Resembrando e Intercambiando”, Caracola del Cir, Parque de San Jerónimo s/n, 41015 Sevilla, Spain
    Universidad de la Laguna, Calle Padre Herrera, s/n, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain)

  • Victoria Reyes-García

    (Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
    Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Traditional agroecological knowledge (TAeK) refers to the cumulative and evolving body of knowledge, practices, beliefs, institutions, and worldviews about the relationships between a society or cultural group and their agroecosystems. These knowledge systems contribute to maintaining environmental and culturally sensitive food systems and have been considered very relevant for agroecological transitions, or the processes of scaling-up and -out agroecology. However, TAeK’s erosion and enclosure threatens its use and reproduction, which in turn might affect TAeK’s potential contribution to agroecological transitions. Here, we explore how transforming TAeK, and particularly TAeK on landraces, into a digital commons can contribute to its maintenance and protection, and thus to agroecological transitions. We do so by analyzing the CONECT-e platform, an initiative for digitally storing and sharing TAeK in a participatory way. One year after being launched, CONECT-e has documented 452 geographically distinct landraces from 81 different species. The information shared in this platform is well-structured, clear, and reliable; it thus allows for the replication of the knowledge reported. Moreover, because CONECT-e makes the documented information freely available and protects it with a copyleft license, placing information in this platform could help one face landrace misappropriation issues. CONECT-e, or similar initiatives, could contribute to agroecological transitions via maintaining TAeK under the digital commons framework, making it accessible to all society and avoiding enclosure processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Calvet-Mir & Petra Benyei & Laura Aceituno-Mata & Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana & Daniel López-García & María Carrascosa-García & Antonio Perdomo-Molina & Victoria Reyes-García, 2018. "The Contribution of Traditional Agroecological Knowledge as a Digital Commons to Agroecological Transitions: The Case of the CONECT-e Platform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3214-:d:168591
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brush, Stephen B., 2007. "Farmers' Rights and Protection of Traditional Agricultural Knowledge," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1499-1514, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Josep Espluga-Trenc & Laura Calvet-Mir & Daniel López-García & Marina Di Masso & Ariadna Pomar & Guillem Tendero, 2021. "Local Agri-Food Systems as a Cultural Heritage Strategy to Recover the Sustainability of Local Communities. Insights from the Spanish Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Stefanie Sievers-Glotzbach & Johannes Euler & Christine Frison & Nina Gmeiner & Lea Kliem & Armelle Mazé & Julia Tschersich, 2021. "Beyond the material: knowledge aspects in seed commoning," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(2), pages 509-524, June.
    3. Leonie Guerrero Lara & Laura M. Pereira & Federica Ravera & Amanda Jiménez-Aceituno, 2019. "Flipping the Tortilla : Social-Ecological Innovations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for More Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, February.
    4. Stefanie Sievers-Glotzbach & Johannes Euler & · Christine Frison & Nina Gmeiner & · Lea Kliem & Armelle Mazé & Julia Tschersich, 2020. "Beyond the material: knowledge aspects in seed commoning," Post-Print hal-02979800, HAL.
    5. Margriet Goris & Leonardo Van den Berg & Ivonete Da Silva Lopes & Jelle Behagel & Gerard Verschoor & Esther Turnhout, 2019. "Resignification Practices of Youth in Zona da Mata, Brazil in the Transition Toward Agroecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, January.

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