Indigenous Knowledge as a Key to Agricultural Resilience: Lessons from Chiloé

As the world faces accelerating socio-ecological changes driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource overexploitation, the resilience of smallholder farmers is increasingly at risk. Food security and rural livelihoods depend not only on material assets and policies but also on knowledge — especially indigenous and local knowledge that has been built across generations.

A recent study published in Agricultural Systems (Caviedes et al., 2024) provides empirical evidence of this relationship. Focusing on the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile, recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), the researchers examined how local farmers’ understanding of environmental and social changes correlates with their ability to sustain resilient livelihoods. Their findings show that indigenous and local knowledge is not only culturally valuable but also statistically linked to greater resilience in the face of climate and social challenges.

Why Local Knowledge Matters in Times of Change

The study begins with a simple yet powerful hypothesis: farmers who understand socio-ecological transformations — whether in climate, biodiversity, or social systems — are better equipped to adapt and sustain their livelihoods.

In Chiloé, smallholder farmers rely on agrosilvopastoral systems that integrate crops, livestock, and forests. These systems are highly vulnerable to climatic instability and globalized markets. The central research question was whether knowledge about observed changes — passed down through community memory and sharpened through daily practice — contributes to resilience in measurable ways.

A Methodology Rooted in Farmers’ Voices

The research team surveyed 100 family farmers across the archipelago. From their responses, two indices were constructed:

1. Socio-ecological knowledge index — based on farmers’ perception of changes in atmospheric, physical, biological, and social systems.
2. Livelihood resilience index — measured through five types of capital: financial, human, social, physical, and natural.

Statistical analysis using linear mixed models allowed the researchers to test whether higher levels of perceived knowledge corresponded with stronger livelihood resilience. While the study design was cross-sectional (which limits causal claims), the results provide strong empirical support for the link between local knowledge and resilience.

Findings: Knowledge Strengthens Resilience

The study found a clear, statistically significant positive association between socio-ecological knowledge and livelihood resilience.

Key insights include:

• Farmers with higher knowledge scores also reported stronger adaptive capacity when facing environmental stressors.
• Knowledge was especially correlated with three livelihood capitals: natural capital (resources and ecosystem management), social capital (cooperation and community networks), and physical capital (productive infrastructure).
• Knowledge functions as an adaptive asset that integrates with material and social resources, rather than standing alone.

The researchers conclude that “indigenous and local knowledge on socio-ecological changes is positively associated with livelihood resilience,” highlighting the active role of memory and perception in enabling adaptation.

Policy and Development Implications

The findings resonate far beyond Chiloé. For policymakers, NGOs, and rural development practitioners, the study underscores the importance of incorporating indigenous and local knowledge into climate adaptation and food security strategies.

Recommendations include:

• Integrating local knowledge into agricultural extension, monitoring systems, and early-warning networks.
• Supporting participatory governance, ensuring that community voices shape territorial planning and adaptation programs.
• Strengthening intergenerational knowledge transfer to prevent the erosion of cultural and ecological memory.

For development organizations, this means adopting bottom-up approaches that treat farmers not as passive beneficiaries but as key partners in resilience-building. For researchers, it suggests combining perception surveys with longitudinal data (e.g., climate records, productivity indicators) to better capture causal relationships over time.

A Science with Local Roots

The Chiloé study demonstrates that resilience is not just about infrastructure or external aid. It is also about the wisdom embedded in communities — the ability to read the signs of the land, anticipate change, and mobilize social networks.

As climate crises intensify, recognizing and leveraging indigenous and local knowledge will be critical not only in Chile but across other rural landscapes, from the Andes to the Amazon.

Call to action: Policymakers, researchers, and NGOs must recognize local knowledge as a strategic ally in building resilience. Failing to do so risks overlooking one of the most valuable assets rural communities already possess.