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From illegal farming on Indigenous land in Brazil to the forced displacement of Indigenous groups in Peru due to logging, recent headlines have continuously highlighted corporate neglect of Indigenous rights and knowledge. This is part of a troubling pattern: companies acting without meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples. Beyond the social and environmental injustices, this also reflects a missed opportunity to partner with those most knowledgeable about biodiversity conservation.
While companies increasingly acknowledge the ecological and social dimensions of biodiversity loss, their approach often falls short. For example, they may identify Indigenous Peoples and local communities as key stakeholders and establish educational programmes on sustainable land management. However, without active consultation of these groups, this approach undermines Indigenous expertise. It reduces their role to passive beneficiaries instead of equal partners with valuable insights. In truth, Indigenous Peoples are the most effective stewards of biodiversity, often outperforming government or corporate-led conservation efforts.
This dismissal of Indigenous knowledge highlights the broader issue that biodiversity loss cannot be tackled with a one-size-fits-all solution. Every ecosystem is unique, requiring a localised approach tailored to specific risks, challenges, and opportunities. Indigenous communities, with their centuries of lived experience, offer unparalleled insights into their environments—insights that support biodiversity conservation as well as reflect the land’s cultural and social significance.
This reality was globally recognised at the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali. Agreements stressed the need to respect, preserve, and integrate Indigenous and local communities’ knowledge, innovations, and practices into conservation efforts. For companies, this commitment begins with Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). However, FPIC is merely a starting point – true progress requires actively engaging Indigenous Peoples as co-creators of solutions, valuing their expertise and leadership in biodiversity conservation.
The era of paternalistic approaches and top-down interventions is over. Companies must educate themselves on Indigenous knowledge systems and ensure Indigenous representation and participation are integral to their decision-making processes. This goes beyond compliance: it’s about adopting an inclusive mindset that recognises Indigenous Peoples and local communities as essential partners in combating the biodiversity crisis.
It stands to reason that companies can and should play a pivotal role in halting biodiversity loss. Now, they must act on the reality that this can only be done through genuine collaboration with the people who know the land best.
Source: This article was previously published by Financial Investigator.
