Cultures reflect a threatened biodiversity
Biological and cultural diversity go hand in hand. This should be taken into account when deciding how to use the Earth's resources, according to Wijnand Boonstra from the Department of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development.
Wijnand Boonstra, Professor of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
The alarming rate of biodiversity loss can be linked to the loss of cultural diversity - people's lifestyles are becoming more and more similar around the world.
– We eat more of the same things and not necessarily food produced in our neighbourhood, says Wijnand Boonstra.
As a result, diversified farms are being replaced by large-scale farming systems that rely on a few species. However, in hard-to-reach places, such as mountainous areas, or where there are strong local traditions that preserve commons, we still see farms with a wide variety of animals and crops.
– Places that have been forgotten by modernity, says Wijnand Boonstra.
Studies show that people who live near high biodiversity, on which they directly depend for their livelihoods, have a deeper understanding of nature. They have a richer vocabulary to recognise species and greater insight into animal behaviour.
Read the full article here: https://www.uu.se/en/disciplinary-domain/science-and-technology/news/archive/2025-05-22-cultures-reflect-a-threatened-biodiversity