Drawing on traditional knowledge .
As we see circular economy climbing up the political agenda, we must acknowledge that circularity has been a way of life for millennia for Indigenous peoples worldwide.
We have a lot to learn from Indigenous and local custodians of the land and defenders of our mother Earth and future. But how can we recognize and learn from these frontline grassroots communities? How can we document and scale up their traditional technologies and practices? How can their nature-based solutions be included in countries’ national climate pledges, for the benefit of all? One example we can look to is the Asociación de Mujeres Indígenas Kábata Könana del Territorio Cabécar and the Indigenous women of the Talamanca region in Costa Rica. Drawing on their traditional agricultural practices and knowledge, waste becomes an input of the next cycle, animals play their part in fertilizing the soil, and weeds provide useful functions for growing crops. Traditional medicinal plants and local native seed varieties are grown and exchanged, creating local exchange fairs between families and communities, which help strengthen food sovereignty and security as well as community resilience in the face of external shocks. A system rooted in reciprocity and self-sufficiency. Another example is the Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited, an Indigenous-owned producer collective located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats of southern India, where traditional collection and production practices of non-timber forest products, such as honey, amla, soap nuts and berries, are helping ensure the management of the precious resources of the reserve as well as sustain the livelihoods of Indigenous communities. For example, the rituals and traditional ways of Indigenous ‘honey hunters’ and the marking of wild bee hives means that hives are not overharvested and bee colonies remain stable. Critical for a thriving biodiversity. But how are these examples related to circular economy, I hear you ask. Well, such practices are creating local economies that are no longer centred around extractive and linear ‘take-make-dispose’ approaches. They are economies centred around holistic approaches, where one process or action feeds into another, fostering resilience, reciprocity and respect between people and nature. Economies that are restorative by design, or rather, default. By looking to locally led and owned practices and action, we can see that Indigenous peoples have so much to share. So why haven’t we been fully listening? Circular economy policies and strategies provide a key entry point to integrate this rich knowledge in local, subnational and national climate action, and NDCs are the perfect way to close the loop. We must just ensure that Indigenous peoples are in the driving seat to help turn these NDCs into action. Through UNDP’s Climate Promise, a flagship initiative that provides support to 120 countries to enhance and implement their NDCs, we are supporting countries to identify and integrate circular opportunities in their revised NDCs and accelerate circular implementation. A key component of Climate Promise support is engaging all actors of society, including key agents of change such as Indigenous peoples and local communities. For more information on circular economy under the Climate Promise, please see here. Both the Asociación de Mujeres Indígenas Kábata Könana del Territorio Cabécar and Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited are winners of the Equator Prize 2021. The Equator Prize, organized by the UNDP Equator Initiative, is awarded biennially to recognize outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Circularity has been a way of life for millennia for Indigenous peoples worldwide.
Alana Craigen UNDP
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a global organization that works to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and promote sustainable development worldwide. It operates in more than 170 countries and territories, partnering with governments, businesses, and communities to address pressing challenges such as climate change, gender equality, and access to education and healthcare. UNDP focuses on empowering people and building resilient societies by providing technical expertise, policy advice, and financial support to help countries achieve their development goals. Through its projects and initiatives, UNDP aims to create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all.
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