Landraces and climate change: global trends through the lens of political agroecology

Abstract

Drawing on a global literature review describing and characterizing the use of landraces by Indigenous and Local Communities (IPLC) in the context of climate change, we found that economic factors seem more important than climate change in explaining the worldwide decline in landraces. We identified that structural agricultural policies lead to farmers’ dependence on markets and new technologies, causing the erosion of landrace diversity and an overall disregard for Indigenous and local knowledge. However, we identified a resistance movement that aims to transform relationships within the seed system to favor landrace conservation. We conclude that the maintenance of landrace diversity cannot be achieved without giving back the decision-power in agroecosystems to farmers instead of capital.