Indigenous knowledge and sustainable agricultural and rural development: Policy issues and strategies for the INDISCO Programme of the ILO

A rapidly growing array of case studies, many dealing with the knowledge of indigenous peoples, provides insights into creative contributions by local communities to the conservation of biodiversity and water and soil resources, as well as, cost-effective approaches to agricultural and livestock production and management. This paper will describe efforts taken since 1979 to incorporate indigenous knowledge into the development paradigm, efforts that have laid a solid foundation for innovative approaches to development such as that of the INDISCO Programme. (author)