Plural and commoning? Forecasting four scenarios for ethnobiology and ethnomedicine by 2035.

Abstract

The accelerating erosion of traditional and local ecological and medical knowledge (LEK) systems is increasingly evident in the Global North and across many less marginalised regions of the Global South. This decline is primarily driven by overarching forces, i.e. globalisation, internalised coloniality created worldwide and over decades by non-rural leading classes, and, most remarkably, by a profound detachment from continuous, embodied interactions with nature. At the same time, sustainability-driven agendas and the expanding role of AI in science and daily life intertwine challenges, opportunities, and a few risks for ethnobiology and ethnomedicine in the coming decade. This editorial proposes four plausible scenarios for the evolution of these disciplines, navigating the intricate cobwebs of LEK loss, resilience, adaptation, and, most importantly, trying to open new horizons in the current problematic times. These scenarios are intended to inspire further theoretical and primarily further empirical engagement in the field, alongside a call to urgently foster commoning practices and innovative educational platforms for (re)experiencing LEK.