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Due to the long and horrific history of stolen land and colonization, the Western world often refers to Indigenous peoples’ culture and knowledge in the past tense. Yet today, Indigenous peoples are indisputably the best guardians of our world’s most precious ecosystems. Western society still desperately needs to learn what Indigenous people have known for millennia: that human beings must live in a reciprocal relationship with the Earth. Around the world, Indigenous peoples have long practiced the key elements of regenerative agriculture.
An example is the art of agroforestry. Some Indigenous communities, like the Lenca people in Honduras, know agroforestry simply as “traditional technique.” Agroforestry — or the concept of growing crops in a way that mimics the forest and offers shade, protection, and nutrients — is such common practice there is no special name for it. By using sustainable practices taught from one generation to another, Indigenous peoples actively safeguard forests, preserving biodiversity and keeping a delicate balance essential for both the environment and their own sustenance.
Another example is intercropping ingenuity. Much of modern agriculture relies on monoculture, where just one single crop is grown across vast sprawling fields. While industrial farmers see this as a more efficient and simplified way to farm, it also depletes the soil of nutrients. Instead, Indigenous peoples have long practiced polyculture, where many different types of crops are grown alongside each other. Intercropping helps regulate soil moisture and deter pests. It also increases biodiversity by encouraging a symbiotic relationship between plants, soil microorganisms, insects, and animals.
Internet: rainforest-alliance.org (adapted).
According to text, agroforestry is best characterized as
