A systems perspective on the conservation and erosion of indigenous agricultural knowledge in central India

Many scholars are concerned that globalization and "scientization" of local management systems threatens the survival of valuable indigenous knowledge of agriculture and agroforestry. This paper addresses such concerns by dra wing on a field study of knowledge about tree and crop cultivation in centr al India to Examine dynamics of knowledge system change. It uses concepts f rom systems studies, including hierarchy, adaptability, connectedness, and scale, to show how parts of indigenous knowledge systems might be more like ly to be lost or preserved under various socio-economic circumstances It th en suggests some concrete lessons for those interested in conserving indige nous knowledge: that knowledge is best conserved in situ that concepts can be more important to communicate and preserve than mere facts or practices; that researchers might identify those parts of a knowledge system most in need of conservation attention; and that technical innovation might allow l ocal-scale indigenous knowledge to interface more effectively with large-sc ale global technologies.