Repositorio
Institucional

Montalba, Rene

Spirito, Florencia

Vieli, Lorena

Advancing towards an understanding of the relationship between culture and agrobiodiversity. A case study in Mapuche territory, southern Chile

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

NJAS-IMPACT IN AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES

en

Biocultural diversity embraces the dynamic, place-based and complex relationship between biological and cultural diversity. Several studies describe a direct, positive relationship between biological and cultural diversity, however, this relationship is usually entwined within a particular socio-ecological context. We explored the relationship between cultural diversity and agrobiodiversity in smallholder farming systems in a rural landscape in south-central Chile considered as Indigenous Mapuche ancestral territory. We hypothesized a positive correlation between cultural diversity and agrobiodiversity in this context. We estimated three levels of agrobiodiversity: (i) subsystems (vegetable garden, orchard, chacra, annual crops and natural places), (ii) plant species and (iii) plant landraces. In our study area, smallholders form three distinctive groups based on their cultural origin: (i) Indigenous Mapuche, (ii) Chileans and (iii) foreigners. Using diversity indices, we explored patterns across 15 focal landscapes (3.14 km2). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found a negative correlation between cultural diversity and agrobiodiversity, as while Mapuche farms presented the highest agrobiodiversity and were dominant in most focal landscapes, Chilean and foreign-owned farms were mostly dominated by monocultures. This negative link highlights the need to further study this relationship considering different socio-ecological aspects from a historical perspective, as well as from a socio-political point of view. Understanding the complex interactions between culture and biodiversity could help us in facing current challenges such as biodiversity loss, cultural homogenization and reducing conventional agriculture impacts.

artículo original

This research was funded by Agencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo (ANID), grants Fondecyt-ANID Regular No 1141249 and Fondecyt-ANID Iniciacion No 1171144.

10.1080/27685241.2022.2083987

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Araucania region

biocultural diversity

indigenous

small-farming systems

FOOD SYSTEMS

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

CLIMATE-CHANGE

BIODIVERSITY

AGROECOLOGY

SOVEREIGNTY

LANDSCAPE

SECURITY

HERITAGE

POLICY

Agricultura

Multidisciplinaria

Región de la Araucanía

diversidad biocultural

indígenas

sistemas de pequeña agricultura

SISTEMAS ALIMENTARIOS

DIVERSIDAD BIOLÓGICA

CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO

BIODIVERSIDAD

AGROECOLOGÍA

SOBERANÍA

PAISAJE

SEGURIDAD

PATRIMONIO

POLÍTICA

Agricultura

Conservación de la Biodiversidad

Otras Ciencias Agrícolas

Advancing towards an understanding of the relationship between culture and agrobiodiversity. A case study in Mapuche territory, southern Chile

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artículo original

version publicada

CC BY 4.0

CC BY 4.0

acceso abierto

acceso abierto

ANID-FONDECYT 1141249

ANID-FONDECYT 1171144

ANID FONDECYT 1141249

ANID FONDECYT 1171144

WOS:000810772300001