Topics
The Role of
Cultural and Spiritual Values
The cultural and spiritual values of indigenous peoples are critical to developing appropriate strategies to climate change adaptation in agriculture. The cultural and spiritual practices of indigenous mountain peoples’ have developed out of a deep respect for the natural world and the relationships between human and natural environments.
These traditions have enabled indigenous peoples to inhabit harsh, mountain environments as well as to adapt to climatic changes over the centuries. Responses to climate challenges that are consistent with indigenous peoples’ worldviews are proven to be more effective in attaining food sovereignty and endogenous development goals, and serve as a means of strengthening community capacity. For indigenous peoples, responses to climate change require a renewed respect for nature, landscapes, and food systems and the societies that sustain them.
