Paper short abstract:

Drawing on a case study on the rural livelihood and indigenous activism in Yucatan, this paper argues that approaches to biodiversity conservation should consider multiple conceptions of the good life and ways of relating to the environment, which go beyond the vision articulated in the 2030 Agenda.

Paper long abstract:

As addressed by SDG 15, loss of biodiversity in the Anthropocene is an urgent issue which requires immediate action. The debate on biodiversity conservation has long focused on the role of human beings in threatening ecosystems through exploitation of natural resources. However, more nuanced approaches to human-environment relationships from the social sciences demonstrate that environmental practices of indigenous and small-scale societies have often contributed to sustaining or even enhancing local biodiversity.

The role of indigenous knowledge and actions for biodiversity conservation is also clearly manifest in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Yucatec Maya speakers have conserved landraces, above all, those of the staple crop, maize in situ through their continued practice of milpa agriculture. However, the system of production primarily oriented towards subsistence is facing a crisis owing to several ecological, political and socioeconomic factors, which include climate change, pressures from the global market and increased demands for cash. Consequently, there is an increasing tendency to turn away from the traditional milpa agriculture. At the same time, a considerable number of Yucatec Maya speakers strive to resist this trend, taking actions based on their own conceptions of the good life and human-environment-relationships.

Drawing on a case study on the rural livelihood and indigenous activism in Yucatan, this paper argues that approaches to biodiversity conservation should take into account multiple conceptions of the good life and ways of relating to the environment, which go beyond the vision articulated in the 2030 Agenda.