Goodwill Seepane, a responsible resource management at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) is a strong advocate of propagate indigenous plants for medical use. It’s a market that has huge potential given the growth in the global herbal medicinal market alone, valued at :21c-billion last year. (Photo courtesy: SAWC)
Conservation

Indigenous knowledge systems: Preserving and profiting from what’s ours

Webinar calls for action to recognise indigenous knowledge as complementary to modern science

By Charlene Wandera

Indigenous knowledge is not a relic of the past; it is a living and breathing body. However, because it is handed down by word of mouth, it risks being lost.

The know-how, practices and understanding that traditional communities have for their land, its plants and animals offers practical solutions to many of the problems we face today.

From healthcare, to climate change and sustainable agriculture, indigenous knowledge systems have vast potential to improve our lot. Yet these systems remain poorly understood, its value insufficiently appreciated, and its wisdom neglected in mainstream education.

These were a few of the views that emerged at a recent Tipping Points webinar which gathered to consider how we might better preserve and profit from indigenous knowledge, including by harnessing it with science.

Panelists

Addressing the webinar, the 26th in a series hosted by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, were: Sinegugu Zukulu; a botanist, educator and Pondoland community activist, Prof Adeyemi Aremu, of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems at North-West University, and Dr Nqobile Masondo, a senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council. The discussions were facilitated by Nokwanda Makunga, a professor of Biotechnology at Stellenbosch University.

In the latest Tipping Points series, researchers Nokwanda Makunga (left) and Prof Oladapo Aremu (right) emphasized the need for dialogue between indigenous and scientific communities.
In the latest Tipping Points series, researchers Nokwanda Makunga (left) and Prof Oladapo Aremu (right) emphasized the need for dialogue between indigenous and scientific communities.

Much needed engagement

The speakers said efforts to restore indigenous knowledge systems to their rightful place must begin with dialogue.

We need to acknowledge these systems were developed and maintained by people who have long interacted with the natural environment. The panelists agreed that what indigenous communities know was not “inferior” to modern science, but complementary to it.

So, to safeguard and benefit from this wisdom, indigenous communities and the scientific world must come together to ensure the knowledge was documented, protected, and used in ways that benefit all, the webinar heard.

Zukulu, a former high school teacher and award-winning activist, stressed the “need for change, recognising that African indigenous schooling systems are also an education.” But indigenous people were still being treated as “second citizens,” said Zukulu.

Botanist and educator, Sinegugu Zukulu, advocates for the recognition of indigenous knowledge as essential to sustainable development. (Photo supplied).
Botanist and educator, Sinegugu Zukulu, advocates for the recognition of indigenous knowledge as essential to sustainable development. (Photo supplied).

Botanist and educator, Sinegugu Zukulu, advocates for the recognition of indigenous knowledge as essential to sustainable development. (Photo supplied).

Age-old practices like fermenting maize and brewing beer were more than traditions — they embodied indigenous science. Yet, they were undervalued in mainstream education, which was why conversations around preserving and profiting from this wisdom has never been more urgent.

Zukulu said indigenous science was often dismissed in mainstream education and research. Indigenous people, despite possessing profound knowledge, were looked down upon because they lacked formal education.

Foundation

He advocated recognising indigenous wisdom as a foundation for sustainable development.

Traditional practices, said Zukulu, offered insights into sustainable living that modern education often overlooked.

He also decried the exploitation of indigenous communities, whose valuable knowledge was often taken and commercialised, while the communities, the true custodians of this knowledge, were left without recognition or financial benefit.

Masondo, an expert on the agro-processing of indigenous and other plants, expanded on the economic potential of indigenous knowledge, particularly in the field of medicinal plants.

Senior researcher, Dr. Nqobile Masondo, discussed the economic potential of indigenous medicinal plants and the importance of community involvement in commercialization. (Photo supplied)
Senior researcher, Dr. Nqobile Masondo, discussed the economic potential of indigenous medicinal plants and the importance of community involvement in commercialization. (Photo supplied)

Wealthy insights

With the global herbal medicine market valued at $216-billion last year and projected to reach $437- billion by 2030, the untapped potential in Africa, especially South Africa, was enormous.

“How can Africa, and South Africa as a whole, benefit from the indigenous knowledge passed down through generations – knowledge that has been proven, to some extent, to meet human needs? This knowledge could significantly contribute to the South African GDP,” Masondo said.

Indigenous plants like Pelargonium and aloes, used for their medicinal properties, were prime examples of this, said Masondo.

Many local communities rely on food crops such as maize and grain to survive. Cultivating medicinal plants and forging partnerships with local farmers reap commercial benefits could help break the poverty cycle. (Photo courtesy of the Southern African Wildlife College).
Many local communities rely on food crops such as maize and grain to survive. Cultivating medicinal plants and forging partnerships with local farmers reap commercial benefits could help break the poverty cycle. (Photo courtesy of the Southern African Wildlife College).

She spoke about the importance of cultivating medicinal plants and forging partnerships with local farmers to ensure the communities who were the source of the knowledge reaped the benefits of commercialisation.

Involving indigenous knowledge holders in the business process, from cultivation to marketing, would preserve their knowledge while providing them with financial benefits.

However, beyond the profits, a deeper conversation about preservation needs to be pursued.

Undervalued

Makunga, an expert in medicinal plants, said indigenous knowledge in South Africa fed both

communities and science, but was “undervalued and poorly understood”.

Aremu, whose work explores the intersection of traditional knowledge and conservation, agreed, and reminded the webinar that because indigenous knowledge was not systematically documented, but orally transmitted, “it’s susceptible to being lost if not preserved”.

Despite this indigenous communities still remain the custodians of vast knowledge about ecosystems, agriculture, and medicine.

Aremu felt “integration starts with conversations” and called for dialogue between indigenous and

scientific communities.

To protect this resource, the speakers stressed the need for proper documentation, legislation, and community collaboration to tap into the knowledge that has been passed down from generations. – Roving Reporters

  • This story was produced with assistance of Jive Media Africa – science communication partner to Oppenheimer Generations and Research.

Charlene Wandera is a grant writer and content curator at the Southern African Wildlife College taking part in Roving Reporters New Narratives ’24 training project.

Roving Reporters runs training projects that help set in motion environmental writing careers. We focus on training environmental science graduates and young journalists keen to write stories for the media about key environmental, social, and justice issues. In a democracy, decision-makers should seek the greatest public good. In South Africa, their choices often focus on the need for transformation, growth, job creation, and a better environment. But these aims are sometimes in conflict and decisions are often based on distorted or false perceptions. Sunlight, as they say, is the best disinfectant and Roving Reporters play a role in illuminating the facts and giving a voice to people most affected by these decisions. This is especially important when government and NGO leaders are reluctant or constrained from speaking openly about pressing environmental problems.

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