Beyond Data Source: Engaging Herders’ Knowledge and Perspectives within the BufFarm Research Process
Article
We are pleased to announce the publication of an article written by Nicolas Lainé, adjunct researcher, and Tulyawat Prasongmaneerut, Suthee Janyasuthiwong, Kim Foyoontpanich. The article appeared in CABI One Health.
This case highlights the importance of involving local communities in a One Health perspective by valuing their knowledge and engaging them as partners in research. Rather than treating local communities as mere data sources, this approach recognizes the significance of their knowledge and places it on equal footing with scientific knowledge. By adopting a transdisciplinary approach that integrates local knowledge, the understanding of the local context is expanded, leading to the development of contextually relevant and sustainable solutions. It draws from the BufFarm project that focuses on buffalo farming within the Lua community in Thailand and investigates local ethnoveterinary and ethnobotanical knowledge, environmental impacts, and antimicrobial resistance. The project adopts a transdisciplinary approach by actively involving local herders as research partners. It integrates their perspectives and knowledge into the research process, shaping research inquiries and fostering a collaborative environment. The project also explores specific aspects identified by the herders, such as the existence of mineral salt lick areas and the buffalo’s diet, to further enhance the understanding of the local context.
The learning outcomes of this approach include recognizing the significance of engaging the local community, developing an inclusive research approach that involves the community throughout the research process, empowering the community to take the lead in certain aspects of field missions, acknowledging local knowledge as equal to scientific perspectives, initiating a dialogue between diverse perspectives, and developing long-term partnerships with the local community.
