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# The chagra: an ancestral model of biodiversity
*An authoritative standalone essay by Miguel Chindoy, on behalf of* [*Agropueblos*](/practice-guide/community/field-schools.md#agropueblos-in-sibundoy-colombia)*, Asociación Indígena para la Gobernanza de los Primeros Pueblos**,** April 2026*
***
The [*chagra*](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] across diverse territories of Latin America and its equivalents elsewhere in the world, constitutes far more than an agricultural production system: it is a living expression of biodiversity in which Indigenous peoples, Afrodescendant peoples, and local communities not only interact with nature — we are constitutive of it. This understanding breaks with the Western vision that separates society and nature; in its place, it proposes a relational ontology in which the human, the vegetal, the animal, and the spiritual coexist in an interdependent fabric. From this perspective, biodiversity is not merely a sum of species, but a network of living relationships that includes knowledges, practices, languages, and spiritualities, configuring complex biocultural systems.
Chagra lineage holders in Agropueblos collective — Sibundoy, Colombia.
In this sense, the *chagra* must be understood through a multi-conceptual lens that articulates ecological, cultural, economic, spiritual, and juridical dimensions. It is not only cultivation — it is school, laboratory, temple, market, and political space. Various ethnoecological studies have demonstrated that traditional systems such as the *chagra* contain levels of biological diversity [superior to many modern agricultural systems](#user-content-fn-2)[^2], which constitutes a key strategy for the *in situ* conservation of biodiversity. This complexity allows us to recognize the *chagra* as an integral unit of territorial management that materializes principles of deep sustainability, sustained on the following points:
1. **The logic that sustains the *****chagra*** proceeds from careful attention to the order of nature, grounded in the principle of unity in diversity. Our ancestors understood that life is sustained by cooperation among species and not by exclusionary competition, and so they designed polyculture systems in which medicinal, food, ritual, and forest plants coexist in harmony. This ecological organization favors nutrient cycling, biological pest control, and climatic resilience, constituting a [highly efficient model](#user-content-fn-3)[^3] from an agroecological standpoint. The *chagra* thus stands as a sophisticated ancestral technology that today is in dialogue with contemporary sciences.
2. **The *****chagra***** is a space for the reaffirmation of the social fabric and community cohesion.** The activities developed there — sowing, weeding, harvesting, and others — are carried out collectively, strengthening bonds of solidarity, reciprocity, and shared responsibility. In the Kamëntšá language, one of the 560 Indigenous languages of Latin America and the Caribbean ([Eberhard et al. 2023](https://www.ethnologue.com/)), the concept **JENA BUATAMBAN** expresses this practice with depth: *mutual teaching through mutual aid in work*. This notion embodies a community pedagogy in which knowledge is transmitted by doing, sharing, and accompanying, making the *chagra* a fundamental social institution for the reproduction of collective life.
3. **The *****chagra***** is a dynamic reservoir of ancestral knowledge** spanning from seed management to complex botanical knowledges, lunar calendars, and artistic expressions. It is here that a true science of life is developed, based on observation, experience, and intergenerational transmission. Here the voices of the elders emerge as guardians of memory, of women as caretakers of diversity, and of children and youth as the continuators of knowledge.
4. **The *****chagra***** guarantees the food sovereignty of communities** by constituting a permanent pantry of diverse, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods. The diversity of species ensures balanced diets and reduces dependence on external markets, strengthening food autonomy. Furthermore, production without agrochemicals contributes to the health of ecosystems and people, consolidating a direct relationship between food, territory, and well-being. From this perspective, the *chagra* nourishes not only bodies but also identities and forms of life.
5. **The *****chagra***** is the guardian of ritual and spiritual spaces** where offerings, *pagamentos*, and practices of energetic harmonization are carried out. These acts — incomprehensible to dominant rationality — are fundamental to the equilibrium between visible and invisible worlds. The spiritual dimension of the *chagra* regulates the use of the territory and orients productive practices, establishing ethical and cosmological limits that prevent over-exploitation. Studies have noted that these practices [constitute complex systems](#user-content-fn-4)[^4] that contribute to environmental conservation.
6. **The *****chagra***** contributes to the economic sustainability of communities** through the generation of surpluses that can be exchanged or marketed. This economic component does not respond to a logic of accumulation but of sufficiency and redistribution, allowing complementary income without rupturing ecological equilibrium. Documented experiences show that products from biodiverse systems carry high cultural and nutritional value, opening opportunities for fair-trade and sustainable commerce models ([FAO 2018](https://www.fao.org/3/CA2227EN/ca2227en.pdf)).
7. **The *****chagra***** is a space of territorial and environmental governance.** Through its management, communities exercise control, care, and protection over the territory, configuring practices of stewardship that ensure the conservation of strategic ecosystems. This exercise is inscribed in systems of customary law that regulate access, use, and management of natural goods. In this sense, the *chagra* can be understood as a basic unit of governance through which territorial autonomy is materialized.
### Quantifiable indicators of the chagra for biodiversity credits
For purposes of its incorporation into biodiversity credit schemes, the *chagra* allows for the definition of measurable indicators that integrate ecological and biocultural variables — indicators that express not only quantitative values but also complex relationships among nature, culture, and territory:
1. **Species richness.** Refers to the total number of cultivated, associated, and spontaneous species present per unit of area within the *chagra*. Its importance lies in making visible the level of biodiversity maintained by the system, showing how biological diversity is not incidental but the result of cultural planning. Higher species richness is associated with greater ecological resilience, better capacity to adapt to climate change, and greater stability of productive systems.
2. **Diversity index.** Beyond a count of species, this index evaluates the distribution and relative abundance of each species within the system. In the *chagra*, this indicator reflects the balance between dominant and secondary species, evidencing the absence of monoculture logic and the presence of balanced coexistence. Its measurement allows the ancestral notion of "unity in diversity" to be technically translated into terms intelligible to monitoring and verification schemes.
3. **Carbon capture.** Measures the quantity of carbon stored both in aboveground biomass (crops, trees, shrubs) and in soil. *Chagras*, by integrating perennial species, annual crops, and diverse vegetal cover, have a high capacity for carbon capture and storage, contributing to climate change mitigation. Measurement can be carried out through methodologies recognized by the IPCC ([IPCC 2019](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/2019-refinement-to-the-2006-ipcc-guidelines-for-national-greenhouse-gas-inventories/)), facilitating integration into environmental markets and compensation schemes.
4. **Functional diversity.** Evaluates the variety of functions species fulfill within the *chagra* — such as food, medicine, ritual, soil protection, or water regulation. Unlike conventional agricultural systems, where a productive function predominates, the *chagra* integrates multiple functions in a single space, which increases its ecological and cultural value. This functional diversity is key to the sustainability of the system and its capacity for adaptation.
5. **Soil conservation.** The *chagra* contributes significantly to soil health, which can be measured through organic matter content, soil structure, and water-holding capacity. These elements evidence processes of natural regeneration derived from practices such as crop rotation, the use of vegetal cover, and the non-use of agrochemicals. A healthy soil ensures not only productivity but also essential ecosystem services.
6. **Food sovereignty index.** Measures the proportion of food consumed by the community that comes directly from the *chagra*. Beyond a quantitative figure, it reflects the level of food autonomy, the nutritional quality of the diet, and the continuity of cultural practices associated with food. High dependence on the *chagra* indicates lower vulnerability to external crises such as price rises or food scarcity.
7. **Knowledge transmission indicator.** Evaluates the participation of different generations (elders, adults, youth, and children) in *chagra* activities. Its importance lies in the fact that biodiversity is not sustained without knowledge, and this in turn depends on living processes of teaching and learning. The *chagra* functions as an intergenerational school where knowledge of seeds, natural cycles, and cultural practices is transmitted.
8. **Ecological connectivity index.** Analyzes the relationship between the *chagra* and surrounding ecosystems, evaluating whether ecological continuity or landscape fragmentation exists. *Chagras*, being integrated into broader territorial matrices (forests, rivers, mountains), contribute to biological connectivity, facilitating species flows and habitat conservation. This aspect is key to understanding their contribution beyond the cultivated area.
These indicators allow for the construction of baselines, monitoring, and verification within biodiversity compensation schemes, integrating ecological and cultural dimensions.
### Juridical argument for the recognition of the chagra in biodiversity mechanisms
The recognition of the *chagra* as a valid unit within biodiversity credit schemes finds solid grounding in international Indigenous peoples' law and in global biodiversity instruments.
**1. ILO Convention 169 (**[**ILO 2003**](https://www.ilo.org/publications/ilo-convention-indigenous-and-tribal-peoples-1989-no-169-manual)**)** establishes the obligation of States to protect the values, practices, and ways of life of Indigenous peoples, including their own forms of use and management of territory (arts. 5, 7, and 15). The *chagra*, as an integral system of production, knowledge, and spirituality, falls directly within these provisions, which implies that any market or compensation mechanism must recognize, respect, and strengthen it, guaranteeing the effective participation of communities in decision-making and in the benefits derived.
**2.** **The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (**[**UNDRIP 2007**](https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html)**)** reinforces this framework by recognizing the right of peoples to maintain, control, protect, and develop their traditional knowledges and cultural manifestations (art. 31), as well as their spiritual relationship with lands, territories, and resources (art. 25). The *chagra* cannot be reduced to an economic asset without violating these rights; on the contrary, its inclusion in biodiversity markets must guarantee Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and mechanisms for the fair and equitable distribution of benefits.
**3.** **The Convention on Biological Diversity (**[**CBD 1992**](https://www.cbd.int/traditional/)**)**, particularly in its Article 8(j), obliges States to respect, preserve, and maintain the knowledge, innovations, and practices of Indigenous communities relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It also promotes equitable participation in the benefits derived from their use. Within this framework, the *chagra* constitutes a concrete expression of these traditional knowledges, such that its recognition within biodiversity credit schemes is not only pertinent but juridically required.
In a complementary way, **the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (**[**CBD 2022**](https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf)**)** recognizes the fundamental role of Indigenous peoples and local communities as guardians of biodiversity, establishing specific targets related to their participation, their territories, and respect for their rights. In particular, the targets oriented toward the conservation of 30% of global biodiversity and the restoration of ecosystems are only attainable through the strengthening of systems such as the *chagra*, which already operate as effective models of *in situ* conservation.
In the emerging context of biodiversity markets, various international fora have signaled the need to establish social and environmental safeguards that prevent the undue commodification of nature and the appropriation of traditional knowledge. Initiatives such as the principles for biodiversity credits and discussions in spaces like the CBD COP and the World Economic Forum have emphasized that these mechanisms must be measurable, verifiable, additional, and, above all, just. The *chagra* meets these criteria by offering clear biodiversity indicators, but it requires that its implementation be anchored in collective rights and not in extractive logics.
Consequently, from a juridical perspective, the inclusion of the *chagra* in biodiversity credit schemes is not a concession, but an obligation derived from international commitments assumed by States. Its recognition implies guaranteeing autonomy, participation, protection of traditional knowledge, and equitable distribution of benefits, avoiding new forms of dispossession under sustainability narratives. In this way, the *chagra* is positioned not only as an ecological model but as a subject of juridical protection within the framework of global biodiversity governance.
### Conclusion on *chagras*
The *chagra*, understood as an integral biocultural system, allows us to profoundly rethink the place of Indigenous peoples, Afrodescendant peoples, and local communities in the global governance of biodiversity and climate action. Far from being considered solely as vulnerable populations or recipients of benefits, we are above all strategic actors, fundamental allies, and co-managers in the construction of responses to the climate crisis. Ancestral episteme, traditional practices, and our historical relationship with nature constitute a concrete, proven, and current basis for confronting contemporary challenges.
The climate crisis is not solely a technical or environmental problem but a civilizational crisis that lays bare the limits of development models based on extraction, homogenization, and the commodification of nature. Faced with this scenario, systems such as the *chagra* offer real alternatives sustained on principles of diversity, equilibrium, reciprocity, and sustainability. The capacity of these systems to conserve biodiversity, capture carbon, regenerate soils, and sustain local economies demonstrates that the peoples who practice them are not vestiges of the past but bearers of solutions for the present and the future.
To recognize Indigenous peoples, Afrodescendant peoples, and local communities as guardians of nature also implies recognizing our political agency, our autonomy, and the right to participate on equal terms in decision-making scenarios. This is not a matter of symbolic inclusion but of establishing effective mechanisms of shared governance in which traditional knowledge systems and our own institutions have a central place. In this sense, the *chagra* is not only a productive space but a node of governance from which territorial control is exercised, the use of natural goods is regulated, and sustainable forms of life are projected.
Likewise, within the framework of emerging biodiversity markets, it is fundamental to prevent these instruments from reproducing the same logics of exclusion and dispossession that have historically affected our peoples. The incorporation of the *chagra* into these schemes must be accompanied by robust safeguards that guarantee respect for collective rights, the protection of traditional knowledge, and the fair and equitable distribution of benefits.
Moreover, the indicators proposed in this document demonstrate that it is possible to translate the complexity of the *chagra* into verifiable metrics without stripping it of its cultural and spiritual dimension. This possibility opens a strategic field for positioning communities as legitimate providers of ecosystem and biocultural services, strengthening economic autonomy and the capacity for advocacy. However, this process must be accompanied by participatory methodologies that respect the tempos, dynamics, and cosmovisions proper to each people.
Finally, it is necessary to transit toward a paradigm shift in which Indigenous peoples, Afrodescendant peoples, and local communities are no longer seen as passive subjects within environmental policies, but as active partners in the construction of global solutions. The *chagra*, in its integrality, embodies this possibility: it is territory, it is knowledge, it is economy, it is spirituality, and it is right. To recognize and strengthen it not only contributes to the conservation of biodiversity but opens paths toward more just, sustainable, and balanced forms of inhabiting the world.
Consequently, any serious strategy in the face of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss must begin from the effective recognition of original peoples as strategic allies. Not to do so would be an ethical omission and a technical and political error that would limit the real possibilities of confronting the global crisis. The *chagra*, as a concrete expression of these systems of life, thus positions itself as an integral proposal that articulates ancestral knowledge with contemporary challenges, demonstrating that the deepest solutions may be found in the practices that have sustained life across generations.
[^1]: A system of representations of profound importance for Indigenous communities. It is considered a space of fertility, socialization, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge and ways of knowing, making it one of the fundamental manifestations of the Indigenous cosmovision — insofar as it generates a connection between human beings, nature, and the spiritual order.
[^2]: "Recent advances in ecological research render this general approach anachronistic and call instead for solidarity with smallholder farmers across the world who are currently struggling to achieve food sovereignty."
[^3]: "New approaches and technologies involving the application of agroecological science combined with Indigenous knowledge systems are being driven by a significant number of peasants, NGOs, and some governmental and academic institutions, and are demonstrating an improvement in food security while conserving natural resources and empowering local, regional, and national peasant organizations and movements."
[^4]: These conceptions and practices pose an important ontological challenge to traditional politics — considered as a sphere of rational debate among human beings over the natural order — precisely because other actors come to be recognized as subjects in the negotiations over that order.
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