What is Andean indigenous knowledge?
Indigenous knowledge of the Andes is the accumulation of many centuries of applied science and is founded on deep cultural beliefs and values, such as respect for nature and the concepts of equality and communality. Also referred to as local or traditional knowledge, it allows indigenous people to ensure that their social and productive activities maintain community well-being and balance with the environment. Indigenous knowledge is applied in many ways. In pre-Spanish times, people used it in domesticating a wide variety of plants and animals and developed sophisticated systems to prevent food shortages. They also knew how to control erosion and conserve water by irrigating and terracing their fields. They could grow productive crops even at altitudes over 4,000 meters. Today, some of their descendants maintain this knowledge. They are able to identify a number of traditional medicinal plants, and they can forecast the weather and classify topsoil as accurately as modern scientists.
