AAAS Science and Human Rights Program

AAAS Project on Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Making the Connection: Traditional Knowledge, Science, and Human Rights

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, intellectual property has been considered a fundamental human right for all peoples. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right "to share in scientific advancement and its benefits" and "to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which they are the author." Maintaining a balance between these two dimensions of article 27 is fundamental for the full realization of human rights. In order to preserve the balance, the scientific contribution of local and indigenous communities must also be taken into account.

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is the information that people in a given community, based on experience and adapted to local culture and environment, have developed over time, and that continues to develop. This knowledge is used to sustain the community and its culture and to maintain the biological resources necessary for the continued survival of the community.

The term "traditional" used to describe this knowledge does not imply that this knowledge is old, nonscientific or non technical in nature, but "tradition-based." It is "traditional" because it is created in a manner that reflects the traditions of the communities, therefore not relating to the nature of the knowledge itself, but to the way in which that knowledge is created, preserved and disseminated.1 Traditional knowledge is collective in nature and considered the property of the entire community. It does not belong to any single individual within the community, and is transmitted through specific cultural and traditional information exchange mechanisms. Traditional knowledge is often maintained and transmitted orally through elders or specialists (breeders, healers, etc.), and often to only a select few people within a community.

Traditional ecological knowledge includes mental inventories of local biological resources, animal breeds, and local plant, crop and tree species. It may include such information as trees and plants that grow well together, and indicator plants, such as plants that show the soil salinity or that are known to flower at the beginning of the rains. It includes practices and technologies, such as seed treatment and storage methods and tools used for planting and harvesting. TEK also encompasses belief systems that play a fundamental role in a people's livelihood and in maintaining their health and the environment, and that may be instrumental in protecting natural areas for religious reasons or maintaining a vital watershed. TEK is dynamic in nature and may include experimentation in the integration of new plant or tree species into existing farming systems or a traditional healer's tests of new plant medicines.

Traditional Knowledge at Risk