Mariaelena Huambachano

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Assistant) at Syracuse University

The Values Assessment (VA) of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services shows that while a wide range of valuation methods exist to include nature's values in diverse decision-making contexts, uptake of these methods remains limited. Building on the VA, this paper reviews five critical steps in the evaluat...

This paper critically examines the current political context in which valuation studies of nature are undertaken. It challenges the belief that somehow, more and technically better valuation will drive the societal change toward more just and sustainable futures. Instead, we argue that current and proposed valuation practices risk to continue to ov...

The Values Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science- Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services shows that multiple valuation methods and approaches exist to assess diverse value types. The evidence is based on the largest review of academic valuation studies on nature to date, developed for the Values Assessment of the Intergovernme...

Twenty-five years since foundational publications on valuing ecosystem services for human well-being1,2, addressing the global biodiversity crisis³ still implies confronting barriers to incorporating nature’s diverse values into decision-making. These barriers include powerful interests supported by current norms and legal rules such as property ri...

Young people are on the front lines of transforming agriculture and food systems, coping with the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 as well as environmental and climate change effects which are likely to accelerate and intensify during their lifetimes. At the same time, young people across global contexts are increasingly emerging as visible...

In the midst of climate change, population growth, and global food crisis scenarios, efforts to succeed in Sustainable Land Management (SLM) implementation are under enormous pressure. To contextualize Indigenous experiences on nature valuation in light of sustainable development efforts, we explored how the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) o...

“Sustainable Development” has come a long way since the World Commission on Environment and Development first popularized the term in 1987. Virtually everyone is now familiar with the term Sustainable Development, from states to multinational corporations, and from affluent communities in the Global North to impoverished communities in the Global S...

This article explores the Quechua peoples’ food systems as seen through a traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) lens and reflects on the vital role of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge for global food security. Data was collected from two Quechua communities, Choquecancha and Rosaspata, in the highlands of Peru, from March 2016 to August 2018. This da...

This article reports on a cross-cultural study of two Indigenous¹ knowledge and food security systems: Quechua² people of Peru and Māori³ of Aotearoa – New Zealand, and implications for food systems sustainability and traditional knowledge. This study takes a novel approach by using a traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) lens to examine respectiv...

Smallholder farmers across the world are at the frontlines of climatic and global change. As they adapt to climate change and to changing global trade in agricultural products, they are often represented as the end-point receivers of engineering innovations that ensure sustainable farming systems and food security. This study draws on a growing bod...

In this chapter, I posit the question, ‘How can we adopt the Sumaq Kawsay3 approach, in particular the Ayni principle, as Indigenous people have done in the past?’ Subsequently, I explore Ayni as a guiding principle for companies that seek to create value. I argue that the Ayni concept was not simply an act of business transaction between familie...

PurposeThis book chapter examines the social and environmental costs resulting from natural gas exploitation in the Peruvian Amazon basin with a special focus on the case of the ‘Camisea Natural Gas Project Block 88’ in the Peruvian Amazon basin. Methodology/approachThis research drew from a comprehensive source of secondary literature data on the...

In light of the expected global demand for food we need to feed the estimated 9.6 million people by 2050, food security is a major concern. Numerous attempts to achieve food security have been made. However, primary focus is often placed on adopting industrialised approaches to safeguarding food security. As a result, an emphasis has been placed on...

Climate change represents a major threat to sustainable agriculture in New Zealand. The sector contributes up to 12 percent of the gross domestic product, and agricultural products comprise 64 percent of the country's total exports. Whilst the agricultural sector plays a crucial role in the economy of New Zealand, it also generates one of the highe...

This paper explores the scope of sustainable development practices in South America with a special focus on sustainable development practices in the agricultural sector of Peru. The agricultural sector plays a key role in the economy of Peru with a contribution of around 8.2 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. Concerns over the unsust...