| This book is the result of a long process of consultation that began in 1988 during the First International Congress of Ethnobiology in Belem, Brazil. Indigenous and traditional peoples (those referred to in the CBD as "indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles") from various parts of the world met with scientists and environmentalists to discuss a common strategy to stop the rapid decrease in the planet's biological and cultural diversity. Major concerns included the unique ways in which indigenous and traditional peoples perceive, use, and manage their natural resources and how programs can be developed to guarantee the preservation and strengthening of indigenous communities and their traditional knowledge. |