Improving visibility for knowledge holders in ethnobiological and ethnopharmacological publications

Ethnopharmacology and ethnobiology largely focus on the study of traditional knowledge related to medicinal and other uses of plants, animals or minerals. Despite decades of political advocacy, ethnopharmacological and ethnobiological information is still sometimes published without proper attribution of the cultural identities and affiliations of the communities that shared it.

Identify key guidelines to ensure the proper attribution of ethnobiological and ethnopharmacological knowledge recorded in scientific publications to the communities who provided it.

This article is based on extensive group discussions that started at a workshop entitled "A worldwide database of local uses of biodiversity: Why? For whom? And how?" (18th Congress of the International Society of Ethnobiology in Marrakech, Morocco, May 15-19, 2024), and was attended by around 50 participants. The guidelines were developed through an iterative revision process.

We propose practical guidelines to improve the attribution and thus, visibility, of communities whose knowledge contributes to ethnobiological and ethnopharmacological publications. Recognising individual knowledge holders remains a critical topic on its own right.

Transparent and consistent reporting of the provenance of place-based ancestral knowledge from communities is essential for advancing the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol, the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, and for strengthening academic inquiry.