In a context where global food systems are facing major challenges, knowledge diversification becomes essential for their sustainable and equitable transformation. The article "Knowledge Democratization Approaches for Food Systems Transformation", co-authored by a group of researchers, including Amaury Peeters, Head of our Research & Development Department and published in May 2024 in the journal Nature Food, highlights the importance of integrating traditional, indigenous and local knowledge into decisions relating to food systems. It identifies several fundamental principles for democratizing knowledge and policy processes.
The article then illustrates various initiatives in different contexts that apply these principles, and proposes three key recommendations: epistemic justice, intercultural co-creation and mutual exchange of knowledge. These principles invite us to reconsider what is perceived as proof and aim to recognize the validity of unconventional knowledge, to foster its dialogue with science and to promote intercultural collaboration. The article is also part of a broader collective work, illustrated by the publication of the compendium "The Politics of Knowledge" in 2022.